A local woman in need of a kidney transplant says she has received dozens of calls from people wanting to know how they can help her in her fight.
Getting an organ transplant is certainly not an easy process. It takes months of tests, paperwork, and worry but just having people saying they're willing to help has made a world of difference for Candie Young already.
"We've had a lot of people call, like 50 people call," said Candie Young.
Young still has a long way to go until she gets a new kidney, but today, she and her mother were able to share hope rather than grief for the first time in a long time. It was a far cry from when we talked to Young last week when she thought there was no hope.
"It's rough," said Young. "It's really rough. I don't really get to do anything."
Her hope lies in the dozens of phone calls she's received in the last four days from complete strangers offering to take a test to see if one of their kidneys would be a match for Candie.
"You never think people are gonna respond like that. They responded so fast and so many of them called. And I just want to thank them for that. Because it's going to save my daughter's life," said Patricia Phillips, Candie's mother.
But the fight is far from over for Candie. Each person who volunteers has to undergo tests that could take up to six months to complete, but knowing there's hope fills Candie with so much joy, she has trouble giving possible donors her information.
Through this process, Candie and her mother have realized she is far from the only person in need of a donation. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 18 people die every day waiting for a transplant of some kind.
"So many people need a kidney," said Phillips. "We're basically watching her deteriorate and it's hard to do."
If you or someone you know can help Candie call 661-326-1940 or 661-348-4790 for more information.
You can also visit
http://www.organdonor.gov for general information on tissue and organ donations.
We encourage you to learn as much as you can about donating because, even if you can't help Candie, you might be able to help someone else in need of a transplant.
