38-year-old Hilary Collins is looking for a kidney, and she wants as many people as possible to register as a living donor so others can get kidneys too.
“It's called the partner program,” Collins tells ThoroldToday. “If anyone's willing to be a living donor, there's so many people on the list. It would just help so many other people, not just me.”
Collins’ medical ordeal started five years ago when she was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer.
“The tumor blocked my ureters, so I went into kidney failure and that's how we found the cancer,” Collins says. “I've been cancer free for four years, but the damage to my kidneys was so strong.”
To deal with the damage, Collins has had to have extensive surgery.
“I already had a right nephrectomy, so they took out my right kidneys,” she says. “I had a left auto transplant, so they took my left kidney and put it in my right pelvis for better blood flow. But then after 10 months, I got the flu and my arteries clogged. So this past February I went into kidney failure.”
Ever since, Collins has been going on dialysis three times a week.
“It's tiring because it's changing out your blood,” Collins says. “They filter it like 700 times while you're there. It's a lot. They tell me it's like running half a marathon every time you're there. It’s definitely tiring.”
The treatment has significantly changed her life.
“I have a six year old,” says Collins. “it’s really tough just being away and tired all the time and sick.”
But through it all, she remains optimistic.
“There's a time and a place to wallow and self pity but there's not much you can do,” Collins says. “Being angry about it or sad doesn't get you anywhere. So you might as well just hope for the best and stay positive about it.”
Most of all, Collins is grateful for the medical care she has received.
“At least I'm alive and I'm Canadian so my health care is the best,” Collins says. “People complain about health care all the time but I've had the top of the line health care and I paid nothing for it. I'm lucky to have that.”
Because the wait for a kidney can take anywhere between two to seven years, Collins’ husband Ryan made a website to find living donors.
“My husband has been very sweet to do that for me,” she says. “He takes care of my son, takes care of me and still works full time. He never complains, he’s just a gem. It makes it so much easier.”
After the website went live, Collins’ family and friends started sharing the link and there’s already been 3000 hits so far.
The website directs people to the partner program that matches living donors with patients that need a kidney.
Collins hopes that the website will get more people to sign up so she can help not only herself, but also others.
“It's just hard to miss out on little things with your family and kids,” she says. “But it could be worse. So hopefully I’ll have a kidney by next summer and then I'll be able to have things go back to normal.”
To register for a living donor or to learn more about the Collins family go to their website.
