Andrew is 8 Today!

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Kidneys Needed

This article was written by Terri Lehrke, Morrison County Record. Rashanda and her boys attend Living Hope. I thought it would be appropriate to add this to my blog in an effort to get out the word. Please prayer for this situation!

Any single mother of two has enough on her plate. Being in a new city with few friends or even acquaintances makes life a little harder. Add to that failing kidneys and life can become overwhelming.

But, that's exactly what Roshanda Keller is dealing with right now.

The 25-year-old mother of two boys moved to Little Falls a year ago, leaving her home in Indiana.

Having worked in a nursing home for three years in Indiana, she saw people suffer through dialysis and didn't want to have to go through the same thing. "At first I told them no," she said. But, two weeks ago she was forced to begin kidney dialysis, or die.

Roshanda explained she's been having problems with her kidneys for six years, especially during the times she was pregnant. But, she said, the problems would always go away. She was diagnosed as having focal sclerosis. "That is when your body attacks your kidneys and treats them like foreign matter," she said.

The disease is not hereditary, and doctors have no idea what caused it, she said.

Roshanda was treated with steroids to keep her kidneys from failing. In October 2006 she felt sick, couldn't get out of bed, and was really "kind of out of it," she said. Her mother called from Indiana and insisted Roshanda see a doctor.

Her blood sugar was very high, and she was taken to the intensive care unit. The steroids, she said, caused diabetes. During the time in the hospital Roshanda lost her vision for over a month. Her mother traveled 14 hours by bus to stay for three weeks, but had to leave just before Christmas.

Her sons Arrione, 4, and Rayshawn, 6, are in preschool and kindergarten. "The boys are having problems in school," Roshanda said, "They get very upset."

She told of an instance where Rayshawn told his teacher he would be going to live with his granny when his mother died.

Rayshawn made a book in school, with the help of advisors in the Bridges program, that talked about illness. Roshanda said helped her son understand the situation a little better.

Roshanda's mother is dealing with her younger sisters in Indiana and cannot come back to Minnesota at this time. Roshanda has also been advised by her physician, Dr. Cowardin, not to work.

People at the Living Hope Assembly of God Church have been good to her, Roshanda said, and she is grateful for their help.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays find Roshanda going through the four-hour dialysis routine. She said after the treatment she feels sick and very tired, unable to do things with her boys that she used to. "I spend a lot of time sleeping," she said. Roshanda will have to continue dialysis until a kidney transplant can be done.

With her kidneys functioning at only 13 percent, Roshanda is on a transplant list. Three times they thought they found a match, but two failed a crossmatch. The third that passed both tests, fell through due to other medical problems.

Anyone who has type A or O blood, and would like to be tested can contact Patty Evans at the Hennepin County Transplant Center, (612) 215-2904.

Those who would like to help, without donating a kidney, can contact Pam Phelps, a member of the Living Hope Assembly of God congregation. Phelps has been working with other members of the church to aid Roshanda. "Things like helping with laundry, daycare while she's in dialysis, a meal, any little thing," Phelps said. "She's got a big load to carry." Phelps can be reached at (320) 632-4618.