I wanted to give back somehow

My son Derek passed away July 1, 2016. He was born with no kidney in 1995. Right after Derek was born he was life-flighted to Primary Children’s Hospital. Our journey of hospital stays, surgeries, tests, and constant poking started the day he was born. I gave Derek my kidney when he was 6, in 2001. Through the Foundation, my costs were paid to donate my kidney to Derek. Unfortunately, he lost that kidney to BK Virus and renal cell carcinoma in 2004. We waited nearly 5 years for another kidney. During that time, he required dialysis. As we live on the Utah/Wyoming border. Because there are no pediatric dialysis centers there, I was trained to be a dialysis tech. We did home hemo dialysis. In 2009 Derek received a kidney from a man that died in an accident. That kidney was a wonderful gift that gave Derek a normal life till his recent passing from leukemia. During those years The National Kidney Foundation of Utah & Idaho, through different programs, gave Derek a somewhat normal childhood. He loved Lagoon Day, going to Youth Transplant Kamp at Camp Kostopoulis, and going to IT school because of a Kidney Patient Scholarship provided by the Foundation. As the National Kidney Foundation of Utah does so much for families like ours, I wanted to give back somehow. When Derek passed away, I set up a memorial fund in his name for pediatric kidney patients. In all, $850 was donated in Derek’s name. If possible, I would like this money to be used to help another child have a “Normal” life. Whether it be for camp scholarships, Lagoon Day, expenses of a family in need with a child who has kidney failure. God bless. Thank you. Kali B.