ROSHON LEE
Roshon Lee is 38 years young, lives in Maryland, and is full of life! When you look at him, you would never guess that he has kidney failure and goes to dialysis three times a week. Unfortunately, that is the case.
Roshon has battled extremely high blood pressure for several years but has managed to keep it under control with medications and stress management. However, the combination of high blood pressure and medication side effects put a strain on his kidneys. At the beginning of 2011, he was hospitalized several times, complaining of back aches, shortness of breath, and weakness. A short time later, his doctor gave him the bad news: His kidneys had failed.
Roshon had only two options--kidney transplant or dialysis. Sadly, no one in his family is eligible to donate to him. Roshon began searching for potential living donors, hoping to find one before having to start dialysis. Unfortunately, no one came forward, and he was forced to begin dialysis in 2011.
During his first three dialysis treatments, Roshon started feeling better because months' worth of toxins were finally being cleaned from his system. However, as he continued dialysis, he started feeling common but very uncomfortable effects of dialysis, including dry skin and severe cramping. He is restricted to 4 cups of water daily to prevent fluid from entering his lungs.
Despite his health concerns, Roshon is often the life of the party. He is the owner and head DJ of an entertainment business he established in the early 90's. In addition, he is the loving father of two beautiful little girls and works hard at everything he does. He is a good father, son, and friend to many. He is always laughing and making the best of a situation, even when his health tries to take center stage.
Roshon and so many others like him deserve the chance to live without relying on dialysis. Rather than this situation spelling Roshon's ending, please help turn it into a new beginning by considering living donation. This site contains a great deal of information for those who are considering donating. Please look around the site and then share it with others. The more people who know about Roshon's plight, the more likely he is to find a matching donor.
If you are interested in being tested, please call the University of Maryland Transplant Center at 410-328-5408. Ask for his coordinator, Alicia Gainey, and tell her you would like to be tested for Roshon Lee.
You can learn more about Roshon and follow his progress on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FindRoshonAKidney
Thank you for reading Roshon's story and for helping to give him a chance at a better life!
10/1/12/O