Temple student in need of kidney donor uses social media to share information
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- About 5,000 people in the Philadelphia area are waiting for an organ transplant. April is National Donate Life Month.
She's all over social media looking for a kidney donor but she's also sharing her story, educating people and hoping to save other lives.
Special deliveries for Jazmin Evans. There's a constant onslaught of supplies.
"These boxes are the dialysis solutions that I need," Evans said.
The 28-year-old Temple grad student has chronic kidney disease.
"All these tubes are different lines," Evans said.
She spends every night for eight hours while she's sleeping hooked up to home dialysis.
"This is saving my life so it's a necessary evil," Evans said. "I do not wish this on my worst enemy."
Dialysis is buying her time. She's been waiting for a kidney transplant for the last four years.
"It gets to be very challenging, very isolating, very lonely," Evans said.
But Evans doesn't have time to feel sorry for herself. She's busy studying and teaching undergraduate classes.
"People look at me they see this able-bodied young woman who's determinative, ambitious and going for her goals," Evans said.
But she says there are plenty of days when she can't get out of bed.
"It's been the hardest thing that I've ever done," Evans said.
She's taken her journey to social media hoping to find a living kidney donor and share information.
Transplants in the same race are easier but not necessary. Still, minorities typically wait longer for a number of different reasons and only about 30% of organ donors come from communities of color.
"They've definitely had some appreciation to a lot of the things within the medical field just because of scientific, medical racism things of that nature," Evans said.
Her posts are gaining traction and while she hasn't found a suitable organ donor, she's gratified with the response.
"I never started this journey with the intention of being inspiring to people but I'm really glad my story resonates with a lot of people," Evans said.
All about sharing the gift of life, doctors say people can safely donate one of their kidneys for a living transplant.
