Hi Everyone….. It’s Dr. M

I’ve got something to share with everyone that is not easy for me. For some of you, it will be the first time you’ve heard about it. Some of you may already know a little about my kidney disease and my need to find a Living Kidney Donor. Very few know the whole story.

So here it goes…

Who Am I?

My name is Dr. M and I am a happily married man blessed with three wonderful adolescent children. I take great joy in being actively involved in their education and daily lives. I am also deeply engaged in caring for my elderly father, who is navigating debilitating health challenges. I have the honor and privilege of working as a physician. I am passionate about caring for others and developing systems to help individuals and communities optimize their health and well-being. Above all, I strive to approach every role, responsibility, and encounter with a spirit of service. I firmly believe in serving the community and this passion guides every aspect of my personal and professional life.

The Beginning

I learned of my Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) in my early 20’s. Polycystic Kidney Disease is a genetic condition that runs in my family. Multiple family members including my mother, maternal grandmother, several uncles and aunts, and multiple cousins have suffered with PKD. I have witnessed the miracle that was given to all these family members when they were able to receive a kidney transplant. It was a life changing event where they went from being on death’s doorstep to having a renewed vitality and ability to live life to the fullest. I knew as I watched and waited that my time would come. Fortunately, for many years, my kidney function remained stable with my only symptom being high blood pressure due to PKD. In last five years, things began to take a turn for the worse as my kidneys enlarged further with hundreds of cysts and my kidney function began to decline.

Direct Match Living Donor Testimonials

Paired Exchange Testimonials

Paired Exchange is when an incompatible donor-recipient pair "exchanges or swaps" their kidneys with another incompatible donor-recipient pair resulting in both recipients receiving a compatible living kidney donor transplant.  This process increases the potential and probability of the individual receiving a living kidney donor transplant sooner rather than solely depending and waiting upon a kidney transplant from finding their own direct match living kidney donor.   

My Current Situation

My kidney function is currently at a critical level of 19%. After undergoing an extensive medical evaluation and various testing to determine my medical eligibility, I was accepted onto the Kidney Transplant Waiting List in January 2025 at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. My Kidney Transplant Team advised me that a kidney from a living donor is my ONLY OPTION since both of my enlarged polycystic kidneys need to be removed simultaneously during my living kidney donor transplant. My overall health is good but my kidneys are functioning at a significantly diminished capacity and the realization of depending upon dialysis to survive is becoming a real possibility.

I still experience occasional episodes of ruptured cysts resulting in peritonitis that requires an urgent visit to the emergency room to control my pain. I am now limited to eating small portions of food. The size of my kidney due to my Polycystic Kidney Disease has greatly increased and has caused reduced lung capacity which makes breathing very difficult along with frequent episodes of shortness of breath. This limits my activities of daily living with frequent episodes of diminished energy, anemia, stamina and fatigue. I suffer with an unusually high amount of abdominal pressure that has resulted in an abdominal tear and two hernias that required surgery and mesh replacement. Despite all this, I continue to work full-time as a practicing physician and health care leader trying to improve the health and well-being of the communities I serve. Unfortunately, my exceptionally healthy eating habits and lifestyle have had no impact on altering or improving my genetic condition of suffering with kidney failure due to Polycystic Kidney Disease.

As my kidney function rapidly continues to decline, I am facing the realization of soon becoming a dialysis patient which would limit and restrict my professional and personal life in a significant capacity. Dialysis does not cure your kidney failure and it only replaces part of your kidney function. It takes many hours per week and also causes both short and long-term debilitating side-effects along with physical limitations and restrictions. But above all, it would not resolve my increasing abdominal pressure due to my enlarged kidneys and potentially needing a more dangerous major surgery to repair a complete bowel obstruction.

Various family members and friends were all evaluated as potential living kidney donors and were found to be medically ineligible as donors which is why I need help in finding a living kidney donor outside of my immediate family and close friends.

Hospital transplant centers DO NOT help patients find living kidney donors and the responsibility solely relies on the individual in need of a kidney transplant to find a living donor on their own.

What Would I Do With The Gift Of Life

As a physician, I know how precious and fragile life can be. Every life is precious and we all have hopes, dreams and aspirations for ourselves and our families. I have a unique perspective as an individual with kidney failure and witnessing firsthand how the Gift of Life greatly enhanced the lives of my mother, several uncles, aunts and cousins who all were blessed by a kidney transplant. If I were to receive The Gift of Life of a new kidney from a Living Donor, it would dramatically improve the longevity and quality of my life and enable me to continue being a loving and compassionate husband, father, son, and physician.

A new kidney from a living donor would enable me to better serve my community and my patients to the fullest extent of my capabilities to enrich their lives in a healthier and better way. My mission statement as a physician is to provide my patients and communities I serve with the education and tools to optimize their health in all aspects of life. If I am blessed with the Gift of Life from a Living Donor, I will be able to continue this mission-based work to care for patients and communities for the foreseeable future.

I also want to dedicate myself to becoming a Living Kidney Donor Advocate and raise awareness about kidney disease and Living Kidney Donation through various speaking engagements and fundraisers to inspire others to consider giving The Gift of Life. I also want to continue my work and involvement with various charitable organizations especially with the underprivileged and families facing various economic and financial hardships.

Share My Story & Consider Getting Tested As A Donor At No Cost To You... It Can Potentially Save Your Own Life

I appreciate your time in reading my website. Please SHARE MY WEBSITE TO HELP ME FIND A LIVING DONOR with your friends, co-workers, family, colleagues, religious affiliations, organizations, etc. via word-of-mouth, e-mail and social media to spread the word that I need a kidney transplant and to possibly consider getting tested yourself. Through everyone’s effort and kindness to help me, I am hopeful that I will find someone who is willing to give me THE GIFT OF LIFE.

Benefits Of Getting Tested As A Potential Donor

• Health Evaluation & Medical Testing is covered by MY INSURANCE…. NO COST TO YOU.
• Testing evaluates your own health & underlying unknown issues such as Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes & Autoimmune Diseases, etc.
• Getting tested is NOT A COMMITMENT to donate…. You can change your mind any time.
• If you are eligible to donate but not a direct match, you can still be my donor through a Paired Swap Exchange where incompatible donor and recipient pairs are matched with another duo.

Contact / Information

Dr. M

Email address: info@drmneedsakidney.org

Potential Donor Registration

Before you can register as a potential donor, you MUST contact the person who shared this website with you to get important information about Dr. M's full name.

• Go to mayoaz.donorscreen.org. 
• Clarify that Dr M is a patient at Mayo Clinic in Arizona

I am truly grateful for your support and help.

Mayo Clinic Transplant Program 

Transplant Department#: 800-344-6296