01/29/2024
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Sana Ashoori, age 19, from Calgary, AB, has nephronophthisis, a rare kidney disease. Her kidneys are so sick that she needs a kidney transplant from a living donor. Sana’s medical team is encouraging her to find a living kidney donor with rare blood type ‘Para Bombay’, A, or B to donate at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. Para Bombay is a rare blood type most likely found among the South Asian community. You could be a match and not even know it.
While we are born with two kidneys, a healthy person can live a normal, healthy life with just one. Sana needs a donor who is 18 or older. There is no upper age limit. The donor does not need to be a relative or of the same ethnicity (that matters for stem cells, not organs), just a healthy person.
Sana is on the waiting list for a deceased donor. Unfortunately, there are not enough organs for everyone who needs them. If a living donor steps forward to donate to Sana, she’ll get off the list for a deceased donor, and everyone behind her will move up by one. The living donor will save two lives!
The criteria for living organ donors are different than for blood donors. If you are not eligible to donate blood, you may still be able to be a living donor. The kidney is an incredible organ; you can live a healthy, happy life with only one kidney! This surgery is more common than you might think.
About Sana Ashoori:
In 2021, Sana was diagnosed during high school with nephronophthisis, an incurable kidney disease. This unexpected revelation surfaced during Sana’s annual checkup, prompting a referral to a nephrologist and having to undergo a kidney biopsy. The results uncovered a mutated gene affecting her kidney cells, rapidly diminishing their function. Coping with this challenging condition includes a range of symptoms for Sana, including extreme exhaustion, anemia, increased thirst, frequent restroom visits, and decreased appetite. Managing medications, especially her self-administered injections, has proven painful, significantly impacting her quality of life.
In the midst of coping with nephronophthisis, Sana received further distressing news about having a rare blood type known as Para Bombay, found in only 4 out of every million people. This rarity has posed significant challenges in her search for a suitable living donor. The rarity of both her disease and blood type has created uncertainties and hardships for Sana and her family. Nevertheless, she holds onto hope, aiming to overcome these hurdles and pave a path for her future.
Having graduated high school in 2022, Sana is currently pursuing her aspiration to become a nurse at Mount Royal University. She aims to provide support and comfort to individuals facing health challenges like her own, particularly in pediatric care. Beyond her studies, Sana enjoys watching movies with her older brother, drawing, and swimming. Additionally, attending religious events and regularly praying with her family at their local community prayer hall remains a source of strength and faith during these difficult times.
As Sana confronts her illness and kidney failure, the unwavering support and bond within her family remain an anchor. She maintains hope and strength, praying for strength to persevere until a suitable donor match is found.
Her ultimate dream is to be free from her illness and finally have the chance to live life fully, including exploring destinations like Europe and the Middle East. She eagerly anticipates visiting her parents' hometown in the Middle East, delving into their origins and experiences.
Please consider supporting her; undergoing testing to determine if you could be a kidney donor would not only offer the gift of life but also alleviate the burden on her family and help manifest her aspirations.
Please consider the “gift of life” by getting tested to see if you are a suitable candidate to donate a kidney to save Sana’s life, easing the burden of sickness on her family and making it possible for her dreams to come true.
Learn more and apply to be Sana’s Donor:
Kidney transplants are performed at the Alberta Transplant Program at Foothills Medical Centre. To learn more about living kidney donation and how to apply to be Sana’s donor, please visit:
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/findhealth/Service.aspx?id=1055205&serviceAtFacilityID=1084906
Potential donors can call the living donor office to apply to be Sana’s donor at #403-944-4635. Donor testing is typically done in Calgary, but potential donors can do much of the testing at local labs in your hometown upon request.
Financial:
Sana’s AHCIP covers the testing, surgery, and hospital stay for the donor and herself. There is a reimbursement program (LODERP) through The Kidney Foundation of Canada La Fondation canadienne du rein - Southern Alberta Branch for donor expenses like travel, food, accommodation, and income replacement. To learn more about the program and what reimbursement you are eligible for, call #403-255-6108 or toll-free at #1-800-268-1177. For more details, visit:https://kidney.ca/KFOC/media/images/PDFs/SAB-LODERP-Information-Sheet-July2021.pdf
Please share this with anyone you know who might be willing to help. We will need someone brave and generous to give the gift of life. Thank you so much to anyone who applies and spreads the word. We are all deeply grateful to you.
- Sana, Ashoori Family, & Campaign Team
