08/16/2025
It has been an honor walking with you through this journey! We pray for your speedy recovery! All the staff at Angelo Kidney Connection Home Therapies wishes you the best!
LUBBOCK, Texas โ For years, Vanessa Mentonโs SUV carried a bold message in white letters across the back window: โPLEASE HELP โ I need a kidney donor. Blood type O+ or O-. My life depends on you.โ
That plea was more than words โ it was a lifeline. Vanessa had been battling polycystic kidney disease, a condition she inherited from her father. Six years ago, doctors found multiple cysts on her right kidney. She chose to have both kidneys removed as a precaution, a decision that ultimately revealed hidden cancer.
โThey told me good thing they did because it was cancerous, but it hadnโt spread,โ Vanessa said.
But her fight didnโt end there. After years of follow-ups and the onset of a chronic cough, she was told she would need peritoneal dialysis โ and that her only hope for a longer life was a kidney transplant.
Her husband, Judge, wasted no time spreading the word. He had the now-famous plea printed on their SUV, reasoning that the carโs daily routes could reach thousands of eyes. The gamble worked. A photo of the sign went viral online, sparking an outpouring of calls and texts from strangers offering to help.
โThat Sunday night I got on my knees and prayed,โ Vanessa recalled. โAnd then my phone started ringing one after another from people saying, โWhat can I do to give you a kidney?โโ
That chain of compassion led to a perfect match. On August 10, 2025, Vanessa received her life-saving kidney transplant.
Today, sheโs off the machines, looking forward to returning to the everyday life that illness had taken away.
โIโm looking forward to that day when she can get back to her normal self because it puts a hamper on everything that you do,โ Judge said.
Vanessa now offers encouragement to others waiting for their miracle: โKeep the fight and hang on to God.โ ๐๐ผ๐