Imagine the hope and excitement of graduating from high school and looking forward to the next, both exhilarating and terrifying chapter of your life as you head for college to pursue career of your dreams.

Imagine the devastation as you learn you have a serious disorder that will put those dreams on hold and in fact threatens your very life.

This is Kelsey Crider’s story. A bright, articulate young woman, Kelsey Crider’s future looked promising as she was headed for Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Two weeks after graduation, Kelsey had some routine blood work done. Initial tests came back indicating she was anemic and her hematocrit was low. Retesting revealed that Kelsey had Medullary Cystic Kidney Disease, a hereditary disorder in which cysts develop deep within the kidneys. The kidney gradually loses its ability to function. At this point, Kelsey’s kidney was only functioning at 12%. She was suffering from kidney failure and needed a kidney transplant.

Fortunately, Kelsey’s father was a match and the transplant went beautifully. Unfortunately, after a heroic fight and a lengthy hospital stay, Kelsey’s body rejected her new kidney. She is now on dialysis 3 days a week at four hours each session. Throughout her ordeal Kelsey has persevered with a smile on her face and positive attitude.

Her dream of attending college to become a photographer has been put on hold as Kelsey focuses on recovering from her surgeries and massive doses of anti-rejection medication. Her doctor has advised that her body needs to rest and heal before they attempt another surgery. In the meantime, we want to find her another donor.

Whether you consider becoming a living kidney donor or can pass this story on to your contacts, let’s do what we can help this family and give this young lady a chance to reach her dreams.

To learn more, please contact Steve Crider at rockymtngatr@yahoo.com or call 303.530.2929.