Hello and thank you so much for visiting my page. My name is Keith Hartman and I need a kidney to live. I have a great wife, two children -- a boy and a girl -- and 3 amazing pups. My wife, kids and dogs are what’s keeping me going during this trying time. In 2020, I had kidney failure due to C-ANCA vasculitis. My health is rapidly declining, and I will soon begin dialysis. This process can be really rough on the body, so I am hoping and praying that I can find a kidney donor before dialysis must start.
My wish is to be able to live a normal life again, do all the things I love and watch my kids continue to grow and become successful adults. My hobbies are videography, woodworking, fishing and kayaking. but due to my unfortunate circumstances, I can no longer participate in the things I love. I want to be able to get back to doing my favorite things. I have been a firefighter for the past 35 years (retired) the best part of that job is i can still go to the station and hang with the boys. but that's getting harder and harder to do.
Why I Need a Kidney
I need a kidney to live. I would like to get my life back, and not feel bad on a daily basis. I dream about waking up and feeling healthy again--to not feel stricken by the burden of knowing my kidneys are no longer doing their job. I want a normal life with family and friends. A living kidney transplant is the fastest and best type of transplant for me-so I need your help! Waiting for a deceased donor kidney could take upwards of 5-8 years, if I am still healthy enough for a transplant.
DID YOU KNOW….You do not have to be a match to give me a kidney. If someone is not a match but is willing to donate a kidney on my behalf, they will find me a matching kidney, and give the kidney to another person in need. It’s a swap program essentially saving two lives. If you donate a kidney to me or on my behalf, your costs for hospital and medical care would all be covered. You may also qualify for Donor Shield Protections through the National Kidney Registry. It would include missed wages, travel, lodging and additional support.
If you don’t aspire to be a kidney donor, you may know someone who could be interested. For this reason, I am asking for you to share my story and the link on your social media and by email as often as you can. By sharing my story, you can help to save my life. Thank you for your time!
How You Can Help
By sharing my story to your group of family and friends, you help to increase the number of people who may consider kidney donation.
You can also support me and other patients in need of a transplant by being screened to become a kidney donor with the NKR. The process is easy to complete and potential donors have access to the NKR’s nationwide donor support network.
Support & Protections Available to Donors through the National Kidney Registry
- Cost Reimbursement
travel & lodging, lost wages, dependent care
- Kidney Prioritization
in the unlikely event you ever need a kidney
- Voucher Donation
the future of paired exchange
- Remote Donation
avoid air travel for donor evaluation & surgery
- Best Match
maximize the impact of your donation
- Legal Support
fighting termination & discrimination
- Complication Protection
reimbursement for complications costs
- Reduce Wasted Time
streamlined donation process
- Home Blood Draws
eliminate trips to the transplant center
- Help Other Donors
give feedback to improve the process
