River Edge, Bergen County (WABC) – First responders in New Jersey, used to saving lives, are now looking for a lifeline.
Andrea Samson, a volunteer EMT at the Edge of the River, endured kidney disease because he was a young child.
Now, she needs her third transplant in just 17 years.
She hopes someone will listen to her and step up.
When an emergency warning is poured into the River Edge Volunteer Ambulance Service, Andrea Samson answers the call and provides critical support to those in need.
“I wake up with a 20% battery, and that's what I have to go through all day,” Samson said.
Three weeks ago, shortly after her 30th birthday, Samson discovered that she needed a kidney transplant for the third time in her life.
She was diagnosed with a rare kidney condition at the age of three, which allows her immune system to attack healthy kidney cells.
“I was always running around. I was doing things and eventually I stopped everything. I was exhausted,” Samson said.
When Samson's body stopped responding to medication, her father donated his kidneys to her at the age of 13.
“We wanted it to last 10-15 years,” Samson said.
But just six years later, she will need something else.
“I really wanted to be normal,” Samson said.
While she is taking a waiting list for a transplant, she is seeking a live donor.
Experts say the average waiting time to receive your kidneys is between 3 and 5 years.
“I have always had this fear that it's not enough, but it doesn't prevent me from living my life,” Samson said.
Samson loved dancing and rose to rank as EMT.
She is currently researching acupuncture treatments to find ways to increase the lifespan of transplanted organs.
Samson's friends and family gathered behind her, who started GoFundMe to support the costs associated with kidney donations.
In the meantime, Samson saves his life in the hopes that someone else will show her the same kindness.
“I think everyone who needs a kidney deserves a kidney. I hope someone finds my story exciting,” Samson said.
For more information about Andrea, click here.
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