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George's Fundraising Page

George Sheppard

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George Sheppard

Join Our Team
2Kidneys 2Sheppards

Sunday, October 6, 2024
UMBC Campus, Erickson Field
1000 Hilltop Circle, Catonsville, MD

8:30AM Check In & Registration
9AM Event Begins

Why Walk?

My family and friends are walking on behalf of my brother and I as we are coping with the devastation of this chronic illness. After surviving a staph infection, heart disease, and open-heart surgery, I was officially diagnosed with kidney disease in 2018. Last August it was determined that I was in stage 5 renal failure and needed to consider dialysis if I could not identify a kidney donor.

I applied to the University of Maryland’s Kidney Transplant program and was determined eligible for live donation only. I was determined ineligible to be added to the UNO’s list for deceased donors and the wait for an organ for my blood type ranges from 8-10 years. Since then, my wife, daughter and siblings have been denied as viable live kidney donors for me.

My brother, Charles is in stage 4 renal failure and is on the UNO’s transplant list for a deceased donors. We're exploring dialysis but through extensive training have come to learn that it is a huge burden and will decrease our quality of life. Most importantly, the doctors have advised that kidney transplant from a live donor is the best treatment option, and a living donor significantly improves one’s survival rate.

I want to identify a live kidney donor to extend my time on this Earth, continue to work, help others, and enjoy my family. If interested in determining your eligibility to donate your spare kidney visit https://ummclivingdonation.org to fill out the Breeze transplant online application. You can learn more about donation and transplant at umm.edu/LivingDonorKidney or umm.edu/transplant or by contacting the University of Maryland Medical Center at 410-328-5408
or transplantappointments@umm.edu. You may also watch Straight Talk about Living Donor Kidney Transplant, which answers common questions at the following link: https://bit.ly/2MQZHoy.

I support the lifechanging work of the National Kidney Foundation:
- To ensure that families will have a place to turn when they need answers.
- To keep up the fight for policy changes to protect kidney patients and living donors.
- To drive innovation in transplantation and get more loved ones off the kidney transplant waitlist.

Are you with me?

Please consider supporting my efforts with a generous donation and joining my team 2Kidneys 2Sheppards for the kidney walk on Sunday, 10/6/2024.

If you decide to walk and would like a unisex team t-shirt, please text your name and shirt size to Tierra Sheppard at 443-529-6998. A single t-shirt is $20 and $15 each for t-shirt orders of 3 or more. Payment is due for all t-shirts by September 22nd via CashApp $creativehandsbytee or Zelle 443-529-6998.

Thanks for your support!
-Bernie