In June of 2017 Bethany Larson was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease.

She was told at the first doctor visit that her blood pressure was abnormally high and that she needed to get checked into the hospital right away to prepare for a kidney biopsy. The biopsy showed she has a disease called IgA Nephropathy and she was already nearing the end of stage three kidney disease (there are 5 stages). IgA Nephropathy is an autoimmune disease which occurs when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) lodges in your kidneys. This results in inflammation that, over time, can hamper your kidneys’ ability to filter waste from your blood. The hope is to have the progression of the illness slowed by temporary use of steroids, which sadly, in Bethany’s case, did not work. She has quickly declined to ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) or stage 5, and is now awaiting a transplant to be scheduled with U of M in Ann Arbor, MI.

For those of us who know Bethany, we certainly understand that to know her is to love her! She is kind, compassionate, and loving. She is the friend and family member that every person would be blessed to have by their side. She has given generously, straight from her heart, to those she loves over the years but most importantly, to those who she may not know at all, whenever she has seen a need.