Kidney For Jenson
At Secret Boston, we know that the community is where our heart is. When families are affected by insurmountable odds, we want to chip away at those odds with some good, old-fashioned signal boosting. Eric has been at Bowery Boston since the beginning and is an unsung hero behind your favorite concerts. Help out the Jensons as they look for a #KidneyForJenson. Please help us spread the word. A message from his wife is below! Please share!
-HELP US FIND A KIDNEY FOR JENSON-
A month ago, our family’s life changed when my husband Eric learned that his kidney function has been steadily decreasing due to Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and will eventually result in kidney failure. While we have known his diagnosis for some time, it came as a shock that a transplant would need to take place at the earliest this fall or at some point within this year.
For anyone who doesn’t know Eric, he’s arguably one of the most loyal, thoughtful, and a ‘down to do anything’ type of person. He is patient, has the ability to stay cool as a cucumber, and can be a quiet but powerful presence. He is a lover of traveling, trying new food, watching the Yankees/NY Rangers (sorry Boston friends), and binging marathon crime documentaries. You can find him playing hockey, snowboarding, mountain biking—you name it. He loves his family and friends immensely and has been private about this struggle thus far because he never wanted people to feel sorry for him…or feel as though he couldn’t accomplish BIG things. Simply put, he has always put other people first and is a force for good. I love him for that.
For those unfamiliar with his story, in 2006, during what should have been a normal hospital stay for kidney stones, imaging revealed that he had a large number of cysts growing on his kidneys. The doctors diagnosed him with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), which is a genetic renal disease that affects more than 600,000 people in the United States. Since then, as with all PKD patients, his kidneys have been on a steady decline. Some patients have a quicker decline than others, and in his case, his kidneys have declined a bit faster than we ever anticipated.
Hence, here is our big ask. While he is on the national organ waitlist, his team at Tufts recommends a living kidney donor as his best chance to avoid dialysis and organ failure.
Some of you may know another person interested in donating a kidney, and some of you may know another person who also needs a kidney transplant (Paired Kidney Exchange Program) and in our highest of hopes, maybe there are some of you that are interested in donating yourselves. Some basic information:
You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.
Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks, 2-3 days of which are spent recovering in the hospital.
The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered
If you are interested in donating, you can start the process at the Tufts Medical Center online donor portal at this link: www.livingdonortufts.org
You will be asked to identify the recipient by name and birthdate which is:
Eric Jenson
10/04/1980
Help us find a #KidneyForJenson!
- Rose, Asher, & Madison
UPDATE Aug 5th, 2021:
I also want to use this post to give info about two of the most common questions I’ve been receiving:
1. The process of becoming a donor is completely confidential. No one, including me, will ever be informed by my transplant team if you do or do not sign up to be a possible donor. It will also not be disclosed if you do decide to start the online process and at any time decide to withdraw from consideration. Unless you tell me directly, the only time I’ll find out who signed up is when I find out who my actual matched donor will be!
2. If you decide that being a living donor isn’t for you, whether that is for personal or medical reasons, many have asked how else you can help. Spreading the word via social media is, and has been, very helpful. I also ask that you actively consider becoming an organ donor after death. Too many people in the United States who are in need of an organ transplant will die while waiting, simply because most people don’t consider this opportunity. This website gives you a state-by-state guidance on how to become a life saver after death: www.organdonor.gov/sign-up
Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart to you all. I’m hopeful about finding a donor match to live a long and healthy life, but the search isn’t over yet.
- Eric
Name: Eric Jenson
DOB: 10/04/1980
