Bonnie Allen

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

“I’m not just waiting for a kidney — I’m waiting to live again. To swim, to travel, to be with the people I love. One person can make that possible.”

Hi, I’m Bonnie.
I was diagnosed with kidney failure in my early 20s. I started with peritoneal dialysis for about a year before receiving my first kidney transplant. Unfortunately, that transplant eventually failed, and I’ve now been back on hemodialysis for several years. The journey has been long and filled with ups and downs, but I’ve never stopped fighting.

I work as a vascular tech and use my experience to support other patients going through dialysis and transplant evaluation. I’m highly sensitized (100% PRA), which makes it much harder to match with a donor — but I’m holding on to hope and doing everything I can to find my second chance.

I’m passionate about advocacy, education, and encouraging others to stay strong through it all. I live with my sweet dog Sasha, who keeps me going, and I’m ready for a brighter, healthier future.

I work in a hospital as a vascular tech, directly with patients all day. After long, demanding shifts on my feet, I head straight to dialysis — exhausted, physically and emotionally. It’s a tough routine, and over time, dialysis has taken a serious toll on my mental health and my body.

One of the hardest parts has been grieving the life I used to have. I miss the freedom of being active, of traveling, of swimming — which was my absolute favorite thing to do. I now have a permacath for dialysis access, which means I can’t swim anymore. I deal with intense bone pain from high phosphorus levels, which makes it hard to move, stand, or walk for long periods.

But even with all this, I haven’t given up. I want to restart my life — to travel again, to one day have a family, to be more present for my nieces, and just live without constant medical barriers.

A kidney transplant would mean everything to me. It would mean freedom — from the constant cycle of dialysis, from the pain, the exhaustion, and the limitations that have taken over my life.

It would mean getting my energy back so I can really show up for the people I love — to travel, to laugh without pain, to play with my nieces, and maybe even start a family of my own one day.

It would mean I could go swimming again — something so simple, but it used to bring me so much peace and joy. (Right now, I can’t even do that because of my dialysis access).

Most of all, it would mean a second chance. Not just to survive, but to live. To live without being tethered to a machine. To wake up and feel strong. To build a future I’ve been waiting on for years.

A transplant would be the gift that brings my life back — and I’m ready for it.

I’m currently searching for a living kidney donor.
If you or someone you know might be willing to help, you can confidentially begin the process to see if you’re a match — no commitment, just information.

Even if you can’t donate, you can help by sharing my story. The more people who see this, the better my chances of finding a match. A single share could reach the person who saves my life.

Please consider being part of my journey — your kindness could give me the chance to live fully again. 💛

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