Help Danielle in Her Search for a Life-Saving Kidney Donor
Danielle, Ian, and Barney Isaac Photo by SarahRachael Photography
My name is Danielle Roessle, and I grew up in Avenel and am the daughter of Bruce and Debbie Menditch. Some of you may remember my article in Avenel Living from May 2020, where I shared the joy of marrying my husband, Lieutenant Commander Ian Roessle, in my parents' backyard during the height of COVID. While that story was filled with happiness, this one carries a different tone.
On February 4, 2024, I gave birth to our son, Barney Isaac. What should have been a joyous occasion was overshadowed by severe complications during childbirth that left me hospitalized for 35 days, including 10 days in the ICU. Due to significant blood loss, my kidneys were deprived of oxygen, leading to end-stage kidney failure. Now, six months later, my doctors have urgently recommended that I seek a kidney donor for a transplant.
Kidneys are vital organs that filter waste and toxins from the blood and regulate blood pressure. Without proper kidney function, life-threatening complications arise. Tragically, I have lost most of my kidney function since February.
To help save my life, my family and I have launched a campaign to find a kidney donor. Unfortunately, my immediate circle of friends and family members are medically ineligible to donate. While a deceased donor is an option, the waitlist for a kidney transplant can be as long as eight years, with nearly 90,000 people in need. Given my young age and overall health, a living donor is strongly recommended, as it would offer a kidney that could last 20-30 years—much longer than one from a deceased donor.
Despite these challenges, I have begun to return to work part-time as a career counselor, adjusting my schedule to conserve energy, which includes taking a three-hour nap each day.
On February 4, 2024, I gave birth to our son, Barney Isaac. What should have been a joyous occasion was overshadowed by severe complications during childbirth that left me hospitalized for 35 days, including 10 days in the ICU. Due to significant blood loss, my kidneys were deprived of oxygen, leading to end-stage kidney failure. Now, six months later, my doctors have urgently recommended that I seek a kidney donor for a transplant.
Kidneys are vital organs that filter waste and toxins from the blood and regulate blood pressure. Without proper kidney function, life-threatening complications arise. Tragically, I have lost most of my kidney function since February.
To help save my life, my family and I have launched a campaign to find a kidney donor. Unfortunately, my immediate circle of friends and family members are medically ineligible to donate. While a deceased donor is an option, the waitlist for a kidney transplant can be as long as eight years, with nearly 90,000 people in need. Given my young age and overall health, a living donor is strongly recommended, as it would offer a kidney that could last 20-30 years—much longer than one from a deceased donor.
Despite these challenges, I have begun to return to work part-time as a career counselor, adjusting my schedule to conserve energy, which includes taking a three-hour nap each day.
My family and I are reaching out to the Avenel community and beyond, seeking support in finding a kidney donor. While some donors are family members, others come from heroic individuals in the community who wish to provide the life-saving gift of a kidney.
To learn more about my journey, visit danielleskidney.com or my Instagram page, @danielleskidney. If you’re interested in exploring the kidney donation process, we are working with DOVE, a trusted third-party organization, to help facilitate the donation.
All medical costs, including surgery and follow-up care, will be covered by my insurance, with additional support available for lost wages and travel expenses. The risk of major complications for kidney donors is minimal. A 20-year Mayo Clinic study of over 3,000 living kidney donors, published in 2022, found that only 2.5% experienced major complications, and all recovered completely.
This journey has been challenging, but with the support of the Avenel community, I hope to find the life-saving donor I so desperately need, allowing me to watch my son grow up and for our family to continue contributing to the community we love.
To find out more, please visit: visit danielleskidney.com