New Jersey Couple Enduring Anxious Wait To Find Kidney Donor After One Fell Through At Last Minute
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) – A New Jersey woman is enduring an anxious wait for a kidney donor. She's holding onto hope that she'll find one in time.
Jackie O'Sullivan and her family are reaching out for help after a kidney donation fell through at the last minute.
"We've been married 37 years and this woman is my life," Tim O'Sullivan said.
This has been the hardest 13 months of Tim and Jackie O'Sullivan's long marriage.
What began as an emergency room visit for a severe headache last April, has turned into a life-altering battle with kidney disease for 59-year-old Jackie O'Sullivan.
"You take your health for granted, there was nothing wrong with me ever," she said.
The quick onset of the disease led O'Sullivan to believe it was curable, but after six months of getting worse instead of better, even on dialysis, doctors give her less than five years to live.
"They said end stage renal failure means both of your kidneys are gone," she explained.
And with a 7-year wait list for a deceased person's kidney, they said her best hope was finding a live kidney donor.
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A few months ago it looked like her sister was a match, but two days before surgery, a final round of testing revealed an unseen health issue and the transplant was canceled.
"I couldn't believe when they called me and it wasn't like it's a delay, this can't happen," O'Sullivan said.
Now, she's back to square one looking for a donor.
Her family has launched an awareness campaign online, added signs to their vehicles, and even got a digital billboard donated from Interstate Transit Media.
"I don't think the public is aware of how minimal the risk is for the donor," O'Sullivan said.
As O'Sullivan waits and tries to enjoy moments she has energy with her kids and grandkids, she lives with the fear her unstable blood pressure puts her at severe risk for a stroke or heart attack that would either take her life or disqualify her as a transplant candidate.
"My life hasn't been the same for one day and the hardest part I think is the fear," she added.
But for now, there is still hope.
"I believe there is someone out there that's going to step up," Tim O'Sullivan said. "And we have to get a kidney, because I don't want to lose her. I'm sorry, I'm never this emotional, but this is hard."
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