‘Save Dawn’ is an initiative started by Dawn Dupree’s family in an effort to locate a life-saving kidney donor.
Dawn Dupree, wife and mother of four, is in need of a kidney transplant to save her life. Fourteen years ago, Dawn lost function of both of her kidneys due to Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), and was able to receive a living donor transplant from an amazing person, Barbara. After 14 wonderful years of life since her transplant, Dawn’s transplanted kidney is unfortunately failing, and soon she will need to rely on dialysis to sustain her life. It is becoming urgent that we find her a new kidney.
The challenge is a bit more difficult now as Dawn’s immune system is very active due to her prior transplant. She cannot easily accept tissue (a kidney, for example) from another human being. Doctors estimate that Dawn can only match with 1 in 70 potential donors.
Dawn is registered at Houston Methodist and the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. There is only a slight chance she will be offered a deceased donor kidney, and it could take up to eight years for that to happen. So, Dawn and her family are working to get as many match opportunities as possible, amongst both deceased and living donors.
What can you do?
Share Dawn’s Story.
Whether you share on social media or directly with a friend, spreading the word is a powerful way to increase the odds of a match.
Consider becoming a kidney donor.
Healthy individuals of all ages may be eligible for donation. Living donor kidney transplant is the first line treatment for kidney failure, and given it is a safe, short and effective procedure, it is an incredible opportunity to save a life. All expenses throughout the process will be taken care of so please don’t let cost stand as a barrier to entry.
Reach out to us.
Reach out to us at savedawninfo@gmail.com to ask any questions you may have. We will be able to speak to the process and discuss the optimal path forward. We can work to get you in contact with other people who have donated in the past to give you an idea of what to expect as well.
Register to test.
We will then get you all of the necessary information (i.e. Dawn’s birthdate, etc.) and help you fill out the online Health History Surveys through Methodist and Mayo (linked below) for screening purposes. Once you’ve completed the surveys, your information will be reviewed and you will be contacted by email or phone and if you’re eligible, begin the formal testing process. Even if you are a match, there is no obligation to donate your kidney. And if you are not a match and would still like to donate, there will be options to give to another in need.
Did You Know?
Almost 250,000 people have donated a kidney in the US
Over 6,000 people donate kidneys yearly
Over 99% of donors never develop kidney problems after donation.
A paired kidney exchange, also known as a “kidney swap” occurs when a living kidney donor is incompatible with their recipient, but does match another person on the waitlist. Two or more live donor transplants could occur.
Living donor kidneys last longer on average, sometimes providing life-saving kidney function for the recipient for 20 years.
Click the links below to find helpful information as you learn about and/or consider becoming a donor.
Diagnosis
1987
Polycystic Kidney Disease ‘PKD’ is an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within your kidneys, causing your kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time.
Dawn grew up knowing about PKD and the possibility of her having the disease as it is a dominant genetic trait and her mother was diagnosed in the 1960’s. Throughout their young adult years, five of six of her mother’s children (of whom Dawn is the youngest) discovered they had the disease as well. In 1987, at the age of 23, Dawn was diagnosed, but it wasn’t until 2009 that she finally needed a transplant, as the dominant form of PKD progresses slowly.
Transplant
2009
Living in England at the time, Dawn had friends everywhere testing to see if they might be a match. When Dawn’s sister’s friend, Barbara, found out that Dawn was in need, she felt compelled to test as well. As it turns out, she was the closest match of them all. Given that Dawn is a mother, this made the match all the more rare, and it was a miracle that her donor was one degree of separation away.
Since then, Dawn has had so many blessings in her life and has had the opportunity to finish raising her four children. She has loved life, enjoyed friends and adored watching her kids grow into adults. Dawn was able to watch each of her four children graduate from college since her transplant. Her son Trey was married in 2020 and has welcomed his first child, baby Margaret, into the family in 2023. Dawn’s whole family is praying for another miracle to rescue Dawn so that she can live many more years and get plenty of time to do things such as getting to know her grandchildren. We simply need a donor that, against many odds, is a match.
This is a race to keep her off of dialysis; while dialysis is an option, it is our last resort. Many dialysis patients die within five to ten years. We are prayerful for many more years than what dialysis can provide.
