Kathryn Young

Hi, I’m Kathryn. I can’t express how much it means that you’re reading my story. Whether you’re here to donate, share this campaign, or offer a kind word—thank you. Your support gives me hope, and right now, hope is everything.The journey to this point has been… relentless. Over the past 2.8 years, I’ve endured:

48 hospitalizations

55 ER visits

65 radiology scans

17 surgeries and procedures

Spending countless days and hours in a hospital room, doctors office, or on a table at my most vulnerable.  

I lost over 90 pounds from being unable to eat or keep food down for long. I became unable to work because I was hospitalized every month for over a year, across three states, due to recurring pancreatitis and other health complications. At one point, I couldn’t even qualify for a transplant because my health kept declining so rapidly- trapping me in a cycle of desperation and survival. I’ve cried. I’ve begged, pleaded, screamed, and bargained with the Almighty. I’ve battled panic attacks that left me breathless and days where my mental and emotional health felt like quicksand. But it hasn’t all been despair.

I’ve grown closer to the people who chose not to let go—who stayed when it got messy. I’ve built deeper bonds with friends and family who reminded me I am loved beyond diagnosis. My relationship with my partner has weathered storms some couples never see in a decade. And through it all, we’ve held each other, choosing to fight together even when the road felt endless.

Thanks to genetic testing done at the Mayo Clinic in June 2024 I found that I have two CFTR gene mutations—meaning I have Cystic Fibrosis. This was the break I needed. After starting a new medication called Trikafta, my lung function improved, and the pancreatitis episodes decreased allowing me to gain weight. For the first time in over a year, I did not have to make a midnight trip to the ER because the pain was just too much. I went eleven months without a hospitalization. Relief doesn’t begin to describe what those eleven months were like.

During those months, I started to feel some semblance of my old self. I began dreaming again—not just about recovering, but about rebuilding. I have plans to help others in my community—people struggling with chronic illness, food insecurity, and systemic barriers. I have brainstormed sustainable products, and envisioned software that could streamline support for food pantries and am currently working to launch a nonprofit program. But I can’t fully pursue this work until I get my health back.

Asking for help is hard. I’ve always prided myself on independence—working long hours, volunteering my time, and caring deeply for the people around me. ESRD took that away. It took my job, my strength, and at times even my relationships. Some people didn’t understand, and that isolation has been painful.

That’s why I’ve partnered with Help Hope Live, a nonprofit platform where donations are tax-deductible and only used for verified medical and transplant-related expenses. Every penny helps me cover the cost of staying alive—and getting well. It also helps those like me by taking 3% of every donation to cover operating costs ensuring that the organization can continue to provide its services. This leave me with 97% of your donation to help cover costs associated with my diagnosis.

This transplant will do more than let me travel freely or leave dialysis behind. It will give me back my time, my energy, and my ability to serve my community. To teach, to innovate, to uplift others who feel forgotten. And yes—it’ll let me do everyday things like walk through a grocery store or complain about office gossip with my friends again. Hiking, silly calls with friends that don’t end with me winded and needing a nap, helping, going to the farmers market, and being able to be outside in the summer. That’s the life I’m fighting for.

So I’m asking—please help me get there. If you feel moved, donate whatever you can. Share my story on social media. Leave a comment. Like a post. No action is too small. Every bit of love moves me closer to health, closer to purpose.

With deepest gratitude,

Kathryn Young

Family and friends of Kathryn Young are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with a kidney transplant. Kathryn has chosen to fundraise through Help Hope Live because donations are tax-deductible and can only be used for verified medical and related expenses—ensuring every dollar goes toward her recovery and care.

Kathryn is a 34-year-old woman diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) in January 2023, which rendered her kidneys permanently unable to filter waste and excess fluid from her blood. She now relies on dialysis three times a week to survive. There is no cure for ESRD—only a kidney transplant can offer her a chance to live fully again.

Those closest to Kathryn describe her with awe, love, and admiration:

Dad: “She’s incredibly loving and intelligent, with a kind heart that notices and uplifts others in the smallest ways. She’s always had a deep love for animals, and even while facing huge challenges, she stays cheerful and uplifting. She defends those who can’t defend themselves and never looks down on anyone. She’s truly special.”

Mom: “She’s intelligent, spontaneous, and outspoken—especially when it comes to causes close to her heart like homelessness, education, mental health, and equality. She’s a passionate advocate for those in need.”

Partner: “One of the most genuine, caring, and funny people you’ll ever meet. She goes out of her way to help people when she can, and she doesn’t shy away from being her genuine self in all situations.”

Sister: “She’s headstrong, fun, outgoing, well-spoken, loyal, and strong. Her optimism and caring nature make her someone everyone feels lucky to know.”

Brother: “Adorably unique.”

Friend: “She’s a beautiful, funny, smart, strong, and caring person.”

Friend: “She always fights for what she believes in—and she truly cares for others.”

Friend: “Kathryn is the kind of person the world doesn’t get often—a true superhero disguised in laughter, kindness, and unapologetic brilliance. She carries light in her eyes and fire in her heart, lifting others even when life tries to pull her down. Her wit sharpens the dullest days, her humor softens the hardest truths, and her love—deep, fierce, and unwavering—grounds me like nothing else. I wouldn’t know how to live without her because she is not just a part of my life—she is the air I breathe when things get heavy, the reason I smile when everything feels dark. She is, simply, the best of humanity in one soul, and I will never stop being grateful for her.”