KIDNEY DONATION NEEDED

# KIDNEY DONATION NEEDED **My name is John Macpherson: This is the request of my lifetime.**

If asking for help is humbling, asking for a kidney is something I never imagined I would need to do. But here I am, at 77 years old, reaching out with hope and vulnerability, to ask for your help to spread my story -- or consider whether you might be the person who could give me the gift of life.

I’ve always been an active person. I love to golf, hike, backpack, and CrossFit. I enjoy reading biographies, history, and a good mystery to keep me guessing. Every morning, I do puzzles in The New York Times to sharpen my mind. My life has been full and meaningful, grounded in family, friends, and in service to the community I love.

I moved to Whatcom County in 1972 and landed a job at a small engineering firm -- $700 a month at Anvil Corporation, which had five employees at the time. Fifty years later, I retired as its Chairman of the Board proud to see it thriving with about 500 employees. Along the way, I served as president of United Way and Rotary Club of Bellingham, was on the board of Bellingham Technical College and Junior Achievement, and helped start "Dollars for Scholars," which continues to provide educational opportunities for local students. Belonging to something larger than myself and giving back have been part of who I am.

Now I find myself facing a need I cannot meet on my own. Twenty years ago, doctors discovered that one of my kidneys had never worked. Thankfully, my other kidney carried me through decades of good living. But in recent years, it began to fail. My energy waned, nights became restless, and earlier this month, on August 15th, I started dialysis at home. To my surprise, I now sleep better than I have in 20 years. It’s a new lease on life, but dialysis is not a permanent solution.

I have been accepted into the Swedish Transplant Center program in Seattle. It was a great relief when Swedish gave me their stamp of approval on my health. My options are either a deceased donor kidney, which could take 5–7 years, or a living kidney donor, which could transform my life much sooner.

I don’t take this request lightly. I know what it means to ask someone to consider donating a kidney. But I promise this: I will honor such a gift with my life. I don’t drink or smoke. I thrive on fresh air, whole foods, and meaningful connections. And I have plans to once again backpack the Pacific Crest Trail with friends, to cheer on my sons in their journeys, and to watch Anna Rose take her first steps, go to her first day of school, and grow into the incredible woman I know she will become.

If I could leave her -- or anyone -- with a piece of wisdom, it would be this: be honest, work hard, enjoy your friends, and be part of your community so you can make it better for everyone. That’s the legacy I want her to see me live out.

And so, with humility, I ask: If you would consider being evaluated as a potential living donor, or if you could share my story with your family, friends, and colleagues, it would mean the world to me. You don’t know whose heart it may touch, or whose generosity it might awaken.

Thanks for your kindness, and most of all, for helping me hold onto the hope of many more years with Cheryl, our boys, and little Anna Rose.

To learn more about donation or how to get tested, contact Angie Krzysiek, dialysis social worker, 360 734-4243

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