Naomi Zmuda

In January, 2011, while recovering from an emergency C-section, Naomi found herself back in the hospital suffering from kidney failure. A degenerative kidney disorder, polycystic kidney disease, and complications during pregnancy had reduced her kidney function to about 15%. We were told she’d need a new kidney within months.

But the Lord had other plans. Naomi’s kidneys remained fairly stable for two years, and she was able to get to know and enjoy our new baby, without worrying about dialysis or a transplant. Since diagnosis, life has been mostly normal, with Naomi being a stay at home mom for our three children, Ethan (12), Sophie (9) and Eli (2). Though she’s easily fatigued, she works very hard for our family. In addition to caring for our new baby, she homeschooled Sophie for two years and Ethan for one. She’s also remained active in our church choir and occasionally sings on the worship team. Outwardly, it’s not that obvious anything is wrong. But her energy level is very low, and some days are much worse than others.

We knew the day would come when her kidneys would begin to worsen, and that’s been happening over the last several months. With her kidney function now around 8%, the time has come for a transplant. Thankfully, we’ve been blessed with a living donor, a friend/co-worker of mine, to whom we’ll be forever grateful. Because of this, we’ve had some leeway in planning when the transplant takes place, and Naomi has been able to completely avoid dialysis.

For two and a half years, there have been many doctor visits, tests and treatments. Now comes the transplant and the lifelong use of anti-rejection medications. Within a few years, she’ll also likely need her diseased kidneys removed. Even with insurance, the ongoing deductibles, co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs will be high. We could really use and would greatly appreciate your help.

To help with medical expenses, a fundraising campaign in Naomi’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the North-Central Kidney Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. With input from the U of M Transplant Center, we set our goal to be $30,000. This amount will make us eligible for $2,500 in matching grants from HelpHOPELive. To make a contribution, select the “Donate Now” button (under our family’s photo) or find check writing instructions to the right.

For more information, please contact HelpHOPELive at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Your gifts and prayers are greatly appreciated!

With sincere gratitude,

Chris Zmuda