Kidney donor match sought by Dartmouth couple online

A Dartmouth couple is hoping to find a living donor for a kidney transplant in the U.S., despite roadblocks that mean it could be an expensive process.

Kevin Wayne McDonald says he's been told his kidney is functioning at less than 10 per cent. He goes to dialysis three times a week and is on the province's transplant list.

His financée, Zaneta Grauzz, says she's seen a rapid decline since he started dialysis 14 months ago.

"He's getting sicker and sicker. They told us it could be a year, it could be two years. They don't know anymore," she said.

Next week, McDonald is scheduled for his fourth surgery in less than two years to adjust the venous catheter that allows for dialysis.

"We need a donor. If Kevin doesn't have a donor, he's going to die," said Grauzz.

Looking to the U.S. for a kidney

She worries they don't have enough time to wait for a match, so they've reached out to American websites for help.

The couple is now working with a "kidney coach" based in the U.S. He says he's volunteering to help them publicize their plight online on his own website, social media and possibly through a non-profit donor registry.

One website, Matching Donors, lists 14,000 profiles of potential donors. It includes a dozen profiles of people who identify as Canadians looking for kidneys. The site advertises finding matches within six months. Membership fees cost between $300 and $600 USD.

Grauzz has many of her own health issues and uses a wheelchair to get around. The couple is now living off McDonald's pension. She says they've been assured their fees would be waived because they are unable to pay.

A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Health Authority says they don't allow donations arranged between strangers, only friends and family

Everton McLean says there are paired exchanges, where friends or relatives who may not be a direct match donate a kidney and their loved one receives one through the system.

Doctor open to the idea

The head surgical lead of the multi-organ transplant program in Halifax says it's just never come up before in the province

Dr. Ian Alwayn says the health authority would consider allowing someone to donate an organ to a stranger, as long as they determined there was no coercion involved.

He says social media is changing the way people form relationships with potential donors.

"We need to really make sure that a person understands what it means, the risks involved as well as determine if there are any other ulterior motives that would prevent us from being able to proceed. I'm thinking about financial incentives, etc.," he said.

They would also have to pass a medical exam and meet with a team of psychologists and social workers.

Alwayn says there's never been a case where an American donated an organ in Nova Scotia, and it would require legal approval before any transplant was performed. 

Grauzz says they're running out of options.

"We've gone through his family and there's nobody that qualifies. A couple of friends wanted to help and their blood type wasn't right and somebody else was sick and they couldn't help. We're just reaching out to the public. We're just so desperate," she said.

'We'd love to actually have a life'

Grauzz says they would be willing to try to fundraise to cover hospital and travel expenses if the procedure had to be done in the U.S., but transplants there can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Despite this, the couple says they're still optimistic something will work out.

"It's been pretty stressful worrying about her health. Worrying about me," said McDonald. "Hopefully, I'll get a kidney and be able to love everyone that I love."

"He's still young, he would love to watch his grandkids grow up. We'd love to get married. We'd love to actually have a life," said Grauzz.