SWFL community leader searches for living kidney donor
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Allie Tafeen
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TLC Marketing & Creative Services
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SWFL community leader searches for living kidney donor
Bonita Springs community board member fights kidney failure
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Jan. XX, 2026) In 2023, 3,515 people died from kidney disease in Florida according to the Center for Disease Control. Kidneys work to filter toxins out of the bloodstream, but chronic kidney disease diminishes their function. Once a patient reaches stage five kidney disease, their kidneys’ have nearly lost all their function and their options are dialysis or a transplant.
Debi Braendle is a Bonita Springs resident, who currently servers on YMCA and Bonita Springs Community Fund board. Braendle was diagnosed with kidney disease over 10 years ago, and now her kidneys are failing. She currently receives treatment from Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and is on the deceased donor list, but a living kidney donor is her best chance at a longer and healthier life.
“This wait list is anywhere from four to ten years depending on your blood type,” Braendle said. “The opportunity to become a living donor greatly shortens the wait time for people to receive a kidney, and is the best chance for someone with kidney disease to live a longer and better quality of life. My quest is not only to find a kidney for myself, but to raise the level of awareness of chronic kidney disease and how you can help save a life with your donation.”
Braendle launched a campaign entitled, “Are You My Type,” to help her find a donor. Her ideal donor is someone with blood type B, but she can receive a kidney from A2, A2B or O donors. Through the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation, Braendle could receive a kidney from a donor who isn’t compatible by swapping with another donor recipient pair.
About Tampa General Hospital’s Living Donor Program
Tampa General Hospital is a leader in living-donor kidney transplantation. Living-donor kidney transplants offer a better outcome for kidney patients. There are a lower chance of rejection and a greater chance of long-term success. For more information on the living donor program visit https://www.tgh.org/.
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