Mr. Dickie's Story
Welcome and thank you for visiting this site to find out more about possibly donating a healthy kidney, I appreciate your being here.
My name is Robert Dickie, and I have been teaching social studies at Damascus High School with Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, since the Fall of 2000, and soon afterwards became a Damascus resident.
Recently, following a routine blood test, my Primary Care Physician noticed that my blood numbers were off, and conducted more thorough tests. After many more tests, including a sonogram and biopsy of my kidneys, it has been determined that I have Chronic Kidney Disease, and that this necrosis of the kidneys is heading towards end-stage renal failure.
When that happens, the choices may either end up to be dialysis (3 days a week x 4 hours a session, and the possibility of having to end my teaching career) or a transplant using a healthy kidney from a living donor (as opposed to a cadaver kidney, which is less reliable).
I am approaching members of our regional communities to see if someone is willing to donate a healthy kidney. I am told people can live normal, happy, healthy lives with just one kidney.
Pre-testing will need to be done on potential donors, post-operations recovery time would need to be available to potential donors, but all of this starts with a willingness to help, and informed consent…so thank you for taking the time to review this.
Attached to this site are links to various medical resources that can explain the procedures, effects, etc. on the donor, as well as the requirements (which no longer include having to match my AB+ blood type) such as not having a personal history of cancer, etc.
Personal health issues that do not necessarily disqualify a potential donor include diabetes, un-controlled high blood pressure, morbidly obese, and a few others. The transplant team would make the final determination on who may be better qualified or not.
I appreciate you being concerned enough to inquire about and research helping me live a better quality (I understand that dialysis only accomplishes about 5% of what a healthy kidney does overall) and longer life, hopefully help me stay in the teaching profession for a long time to come.
Please ask questions to your health care professional, and please help spread the word about this need through your social network connections.
Feel free to register as a potential organ donor with the organizations listed in the links, and please leave your contact information if you are willing to be considered as a live donor of a healthy kidney to me.
Thank you for helping me with this, you are greatly appreciated.
With Sincere Gratitude
Robert Dickie
My name is Robert Dickie, and I have been teaching social studies at Damascus High School with Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, since the Fall of 2000, and soon afterwards became a Damascus resident.
Recently, following a routine blood test, my Primary Care Physician noticed that my blood numbers were off, and conducted more thorough tests. After many more tests, including a sonogram and biopsy of my kidneys, it has been determined that I have Chronic Kidney Disease, and that this necrosis of the kidneys is heading towards end-stage renal failure.
When that happens, the choices may either end up to be dialysis (3 days a week x 4 hours a session, and the possibility of having to end my teaching career) or a transplant using a healthy kidney from a living donor (as opposed to a cadaver kidney, which is less reliable).
I am approaching members of our regional communities to see if someone is willing to donate a healthy kidney. I am told people can live normal, happy, healthy lives with just one kidney.
Pre-testing will need to be done on potential donors, post-operations recovery time would need to be available to potential donors, but all of this starts with a willingness to help, and informed consent…so thank you for taking the time to review this.
Attached to this site are links to various medical resources that can explain the procedures, effects, etc. on the donor, as well as the requirements (which no longer include having to match my AB+ blood type) such as not having a personal history of cancer, etc.
Personal health issues that do not necessarily disqualify a potential donor include diabetes, un-controlled high blood pressure, morbidly obese, and a few others. The transplant team would make the final determination on who may be better qualified or not.
I appreciate you being concerned enough to inquire about and research helping me live a better quality (I understand that dialysis only accomplishes about 5% of what a healthy kidney does overall) and longer life, hopefully help me stay in the teaching profession for a long time to come.
Please ask questions to your health care professional, and please help spread the word about this need through your social network connections.
Feel free to register as a potential organ donor with the organizations listed in the links, and please leave your contact information if you are willing to be considered as a live donor of a healthy kidney to me.
Thank you for helping me with this, you are greatly appreciated.
With Sincere Gratitude
Robert Dickie