COLORADO SPRINGS — A Colorado Springs grandmother is opening up about a personal medical need. Jill McGuffin needs a kidney, but finding a donor to match is proving difficult.
McGuffin said she went to get blood tests in 2016 for an acute kidney injury, and that was when she found out she also had cancer in her blood, called multiple myeloma. She said she went through several procedures, including a stem cell transplant and chemotherapy. Now, she's in remission, but the kidney problems persist. "They told me that I have to go on dialysis, and I said, I don't even know what dialysis is, but I don't want to go on it, and they said you have to to stay alive," said McGuffin, who is 57-years-old.
McGuffin has two children, and a grandson. McGuffin said her family members unfortunately cannot give her the kidney she needs. "My kids, they've had kidney stones, or high blood pressure, and then my sister and all my nieces and nephews, they've had problems," said McGuffin.
Her youngest child, Kori Rogers, said someone stepping up to be the donor could change the course of the family's future. "After losing my dad three years ago, and then, you know, mom getting sick just before that, we felt like our world was crumbling. So, if you can put this back together for us, it will change our lives," said Rogers.
McGuffin's blood type is O+ and ideally doctors would like for someone to volunteer who is around the same size as her. If you would like to help, you can email her daughter at korimrogers@yahoo.com or you can fill out the donor application at UCHealthlivingdonor.org.
