My name is Thelma Warner. I’m a retired Business Education Teacher from NC. Prior to that I was a flight attendant for a major airline.
The past few years of my life I have suffered many health challenges. I am a heart transplant recipient, tricuspid valve recipient, and lung surgery and brain surgery survivor – many refer to me as the bionic woman! I am now facing yet another health issue. I had an acute kidney injury during my heart transplant and as a result my kidneys have nearly ceased working. I have been informed by my doctors that I need a kidney transplant from a living donor. After 4 years of dialysis, my kidneys are beginning to calcify which puts me into a position of needing a living kidney donor sooner than later.
I am on dialysis 3 days a week for 4 hours each day. After dialysis treatment I feel very weak and all I want to do is go home and rest. I was a very active, adventurous, social, and outgoing person. I enjoy learning, computer games and surfing the internet, research, fishing, cooking, swimming, listening to all types of music, concerts, exhibits, museums, going to the park, playing pool, going to the beach, family gatherings, and traveling. Dialysis takes me away from my life and all those things I would like to accomplish!
I would like to share a quote I found that resonated with me: “Hard things are put in our way not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.”
Throughout these challenges, I have found courage and strength I never knew I possessed. I had to dig deep down within my soul to find it, but it was there. The battles that I have faced in my lifetime I would never have imagined surviving, yet I have. I’m still here and I will continue to fight! I have made a conscious effort to be positive and seek a living donor. A living donor would give me a better quality of life and fulfill the dreams I have of continually advocating for others.
My time is running out. Please consider being my donor!