Darie Levermore

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

Darie needs a living kidney donor!

Hi! My name is Darie - I’m 22 years old and currently living and working in New York City. I enjoy reading, trying new foods and restaurants, and exploring new places around NYC!

In the summer of 2023, I went to the doctor for a routine check-up; however, to both me and my doctor’s surprise, my blood pressure was elevated, despite having normal readings in the past. After a few weeks of uncertainty and some blood work later, I was diagnosed with kidney failure. The next several weeks were a blur - I was planning on moving to NYC for the summer and starting an internship, but was unsure of whether I would be able to travel. Thankfully, I was still able to make it on time for the start of my internship, but moments between activities were colored with worry and anxiety as I waited for the next steps regarding my diagnosis. After a kidney biopsy about a month later, it was discovered that the specific type of chronic, rare autoimmune kidney disease I have is called IgA Nephropathy, or Berger’s disease.

The time between the summer of 2023 and the spring of 2024 was filled with stress and many changes, both physical and mental. Countless doctor's appointments were scheduled, and various drugs with side effects that affected my mental health greatly were tested to see if the progression of my kidney disease could be slowed or stopped. However, my kidney function continued to decline, and in April of 2024, I started my journey of treatment through peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Since starting peritoneal dialysis, my world has “normalized” in a sense, but I still have to be hooked up to a machine 10 hours a night, 7 days a week. PD also isn’t the easiest - while it gives me flexibility since I can travel and do treatment on my own schedule, I still deal with fatigue and discomfort that can derail my days. In addition, the mental load that my treatment carries is a lot. I often have to worry about what I eat, how my body feels daily, and avoiding infection and getting sick. Despite these challenges, I am thankful and blessed to be living life in New York City, and doing my best to enjoy everything that it has to offer around me, despite various constraints I have due to my treatment.

I have always aimed to keep a positive mindset around my condition and my health, and my family, friends, and dialysis nurses have been an immense support system during the past few years. The care and love they have shown me during this extremely difficult time have kept me going. I know the Lord has a plan for me and the journey that I am walking on - and I am so thankful that I have Him and those around me to support me. A special shoutout to my parents, brother, boyfriend, best friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, church family, and everyone across the globe who have supported me, prayed for me, and helped me through my struggles! I am extremely proud that I was still able to graduate from The College of William & Mary on time with my peers, in addition to juggling my various commitments and leadership positions while on campus, which couldn’t have been done without the support and grace I received from others.

I come here today sharing my story to see if someone is out there who is willing to be my living kidney donor! Thank you for reading. It truly means a lot 🤍. It would also mean the world to me if you could share this story. The more people that see it increase the chances of me finding my donor, and if you are interested in potentially being my donor, you can start the process confidentially!

There is more information related to starting the process below this post. If you decide to fill out the donor questionnaire form, you will need my date of birth, which is 10/28/2003. In addition, a donor's medical costs are covered by the recipient's insurance. So if you are interested in donating, please do not worry about a financial commitment. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this. Hopefully, I’ll be able to live life without being hooked up to a machine soon!

Previous Next