After months of waiting, Sherwood woman finally gets new kidney

SHERWOOD, Ore. (KPTV)—A call for help turned into action by one stranger who donated his kidney to a Sherwood woman.

In the summer of 2021, billboards, car magnets, and lawn signs went up around the Willamette Valley for KC Strader whose kidney’s were failing. In 2005, she was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. Ever since that diagnoses, doctors told her she will either need a new kidney or go on dialysis. For the last two years, the need for a transplant became a reality so her friends and family raised money to advertise the call for help.

“I didn’t have any idea I’d get that kind of response,” Strader said.

Strader said since the billboards went up, 200 people reached out asking how they can help and 13 went through the donor application process. In January, Strader’s doctors were telling her to prepare to go on dialysis. Then, in the 11th hour, she found her match.

“It’s just amazing that somebody I don’t know, had a surgery they didn’t need to save my life,” Strader said.’

On March 28th, Strader got her brand new kidney, 18 years after being diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease.

“I went under anesthesia with two bad kidneys and then I came out of anesthesia with three and now one of them is a working kidney,” Strader said. “So I feel like it’s just such a miracle. I went into surgery, I came out of it, and everything is working well.”

Two weeks later Strader is at home recovering at home from the surgery. Her doctors said she’s making a lot of progress. She said he’s lost the fatigue and pain Polycystic Kidney Disease induced for so many years.

“I had one of my doctors say you haven’t been well for so long you don’t know how you’re supposed to feel which is very true,” Strader said. “So just having energy, or feeling like I can wake up in the morning and feel rested. I never felt rested before.”

Strader said she doesn’t know who the donor is, where he lives, or what inspired him to donate. She’s confident the donor saw one of her billboards, or a car magnet, or a yard sign asking for help. A sign that now says ‘I got a kidney.’

“I hope to meet you some day,” Strader said. “If you choose to meet me I would love to. There are no words about how I’m just so incredibly grateful for what you’ve done for me. You’ve saved my life”

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