TALLAHASSEE, Florida (WCTV) – A plea for help flashing high in the sky. Drivers in Tallahassee may have noticed a recent digital billboard showing a woman from Leon County who urgently needed a kidney transplant.
Missy Timmins is in her 50s and lives with Polycystic Kidney Disease. It is an inherited disease. His mother and two brothers have. Her late grandmother also had the disease.
Diagnosed decades ago, Timmins said he knew that a transplant later in life might be necessary. But she suffers from a more aggressive form of the disease. In 2016, she was informed that it was time to look for a donor.
But, five years later, she is still waiting.
“I really thought it would be over now,” she said.
Your difficult journey does not take place without a support group of friends and family at your side. A longtime friend, Brad Ray, was willing to donate his kidney immediately.
“I would cut it myself tomorrow, if I could,” he said.
But Brad’s blood type is no match for Timmins. So he signed up for a pair donation program, looking for a similar pair anywhere in the country who could open more doors to get the kidney she needed for Timmins.
But even that proved to be fruitless. Still, Timmins thanks Ray for his willingness to help.
“There are no words to say to someone who is willing to donate a part of himself to save his life,” she said.
Her situation worsened last year. After several planned transplants canceled at the last second, Timmins picked up COVID-19.
“COVID destroyed what was left of my kidney function,” she said.
Timmins completes eleven hours of dialysis treatment at home each day. She said that more invasive dialysis treatment may be in her future, as her condition deteriorates.
Her friends knew that she needs a kidney now more than ever. Then, some got together and had the idea of the billboard.
“It was one of those duh factors out of ten,” said Ray. “Why didn’t we do this three years ago?”
Timmins said that advertising has already produced viable leads. Several people are in the early stages to see if they match. But, having been burned before, Timmins is cautiously optimistic.
“It was an adventure,” she said. “A long journey.”
A journey that, hopefully, is coming to an end.
For more information on this journey, visit his Facebook page.
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