“i realized it was a fact that nobody was going to help me if i don’t ask.”
he took to social media, giving friends, acquaintances and the public a sometimes painfully candid glimpse into his daily life as someone experiencing renal failure.
despite the daily rigours of his disease, he continues to provide updates while he continues his own pursuit of a life-changing kidney donation.
james vogel received a kidney from an anonymous donor after a three-year search.
azin ghaffari/postmedia calgary
for the vogels, now adjusting to a new and happy reality in which james has a new lease on life, the lesson learned from their quest for an organ donor is one they suggest others can emulate.
even as james recovers from surgery, and they look to
return to a normal life
, he said they plan to keep the signs and stickers up, hoping at the very least to educate more people about how choosing to donate an organ can transform a life.
“don’t suffer in silence. get out there and ask, you know, spread your story, share your story or just outright talk about it,” he said.
“we’re going to push it even more now than ever because i want people to know you don’t have to suffer in silence. you can save a life — it’s proven right here.”
if you’re interested in testing to be a potential kidney donor for charles, call 1-780-407-8698, ext. 3, and tell them you’d like to be tested. those who aren’t a match but would still like to donate can enter the kidney paired donation program, which allows a potential donor to donate to another person in need. for more information on the paired program, call 1-780-777-4119.
share story
share this story
albertans in desperate need of kidney organ transplants turn to social media, marketing