(WXYZ) — March is National Kidney Month, a time to highlight kidney disease and the efforts to prevent and manage it.
More than 35 million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease. I am highlighting the voice of a metro Detroit woman who has had multiple kidney transplants and her height for life.
Alethea Walls, 43, recalls when her life changed forever. She’s been fighting kidney disease since childhood. Today, she’s fighting to control her emotions.
I was 14 years old and I can remember it like it was yesterday," she said. "It was a very traumatic experience for not only myself, but for my family."
She said it started with swelling in her lower extremities, her legs, then in her face and hands.
"It was kind of rapid decline after that," she said.
As a high school freshman, she developed Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis. Alethea received her first kidney transplant at the age of 19, but lost it. Five years later, her aunt gave her a second chance. That organ failed 10 years after. Now, Alethea is waiting for a third transplant while enduring the challenges of daily life.
"Just to get up and make breakfast is difficult. Maintaining my home is difficult," she said. "My mind says, 'oh, you can do this, you can do that.' My body says, no, not today."
Now she's using her experience to advocate for the millions of Americans with kidney disease as a board member of the national advocacy group Dialysis Patient Citizens. She's fighting to improve access, increase quality care and widespread testing.
"Early detection can really prolong your life. Being aware, it really can prolong your life," she said.
She says testing is done with a simple blood test checking kidney health and kidney function.
"It's not a big inconvenience. It's only a couple of minutes of your day, once a year," she said.
She also fighting to promote financial security. The former dialysis tech says for a time cost prevented her from being listed for a transplant here in Michigan.
"Because I couldn't afford that 20%. That 20% of a million-dollar surgery, I couldn't prove that I can pay that,' she said.
The cost of surgery, testing, specialist care and medications can cost thousands of dollars a month. With new insurance, she’s now on the transplant list here and in Washington D.C.
Sadly, many patients need multiple kidney transplants. Because, as Dr. Dilip Samarapungavan of Corewell Health says, the treatment for kidney failure is not a cure.
"But if you are able to have a successful transplant, it offers you the opportunity for both a better quality of life and hopefully a significantly longer life on average," he said.
Almost twice as long as remaining on dialysis. Sumarpungavin says transplanted kidneys from living donors last on average 15-20 years, while those from deceased donors last around 8-12 years.
As she waits for her next chance at life, Alethea hopes to inspire others to get tested early so no one has to fight this battle alone. She wants to be there for others, like her father has been for her. She calls him her biggest cheerleader.
"He doesn't have to say anything. Sometimes just knowing for a fact that this person is there is all you need," she said.
