Group offers support to those struggling with kidney health

PHOTOS PROVIDED
LaShawn Taylor and her husband, Freeman, have been featured as part of a campaign by Lifebanc.org and their faces can be seen on the side of Metro buses in the area.

 

By EMILY CANNING-DEAN

BGNN staff writer

BARBERTON  It has been three years since LaShawn Taylor underwent a kidney transplant and keeping a close eye on her health and lifestyle is still essential.

“Even now there are a lot of restrictions when it comes to food,” the Barberton resident said. “Vegetables have to be washed in a vinegar water solution and meat has to be well done. I have to be very careful when I go out to eat. But I’m doing so much better, especially having my support group. We really can talk to each other about everything, and I think we are all stronger for it.”

Months after her own transplant, Taylor formed a support group called Nu You Kidney Recovery Support Foundation after discovering there weren’t a lot of support group options for kidney patients in the area. Two years ago, the group had five regular members, but now it has grown to more than a dozen.

“We originally had our meetings at Common Threads, but because the group has grown, we have moved it out to Fairlawn,” Taylor said. “One of our members attends St. George Orthodox Church on Ridgewood Road and they have been so good to us providing us with a nice room and bigger space.”

The group meets the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

“We still offer education classes, but we also started doing mindful meditation and movement. We are trying to get out in nature and help promote a healthy lifestyle,” Taylor said. “We are also looking at starting a walking series possibly around Lake Anna or some other areas of Barberton. We do a big focus on how to be healthy and live better and eat better and focus on the underlying issues that caused the kidney problems in the first place like diabetes and high blood pressure.”

While some members of the support group are kidney transplant recipients, Taylor said that is not a requirement to join the group. She said anyone who struggles with kidney health as well as caregivers and loved ones are welcome to attend.

In honor of National Kidney Month, Nu You Kidney Recovery Support Foundation is planning a special brunch event 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28 at the Lawton Street Community Center in Akron. The event will include open discussions about kidney disease, transplants and the kidney swap program. The event is open to the public and RSVP is not required.

Taylor said the kidney swap program is something she is very passionate about. Taylor was able to receive a transplant because her husband, Freeman, volunteered to be a kidney donor. But because her husband was not a match for her, his kidney went to another patient, and she received a kidney from another donor. Taylor has also learned more about why she needed a new kidney in the first place.

“Last year after doing some genetic testing, I learned I have a rare genetic condition called APOL1,” she said. “It is something that affects African Americans and my sons have already been tested. I advocate if you have kidney disease but don’t have some of the common underlying issues like diabetes or hypertension, it is very important to get tested.”

Always happy to advocate for more awareness, Taylor also attended a national medical convention with her doctor last year where APOL1 was a topic of discussion.

Across the United States, more than 108,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant — the majority in need of a kidney. Every 10 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list, and each day, lives are lost because an organ is not available in time, according to a news release. In Ohio, approximately 2,700 people are waiting for a transplant, including more than 1,200 individuals in Northeast Ohio alone.

While dialysis can sustain life, it is not a cure. Treatment requires hours each week and places a significant physical and emotional burden on patients and their families. For many, a kidney transplant offers the best opportunity for longer survival and improved quality of life. However, transplantation depends entirely on donation. Lifebanc, the federally designated organ, eye, and tissue recovery organization serving Northeast Ohio, works with donor families, healthcare teams, and transplant centers to ensure every opportunity for donation is handled with care and respect.

Taylor and her husband have also been featured as part of a campaign by Lifebanc.org and their faces can be seen on the side of Metro buses in the area.

For more information about Nu You Kidney Recovery Support Foundation visit www.nuyoukidneysupport.org.

“I’m always happy to collaborate with other organizations so we can get the word out and offer support to anyone who is going through kidney disease,” Taylor said.