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GRAFTON, Mass.—A long time Grafton resident, in need of a kidney replacement, is asking for help.
Ranjan Shukla has been in failing health for over three years, the result of a hereditary disorder called Polycystic Kidney Disease. She has been on the National Kidney Registration for over 24 months, and doctors tell her she might have to wait another 5 to 7 years before a donation comes through.
But Shukla, 62, said time is running out. “If I don’t find a compatible donor, I will have to start kidney dialysis, but that is a temporary solution,” she said in a telephone interview.
Her maternal side of the family has suffered from the disease: her mother died of PKD when Shukla was a child then, years later, her aunt and one of her brothers also died. She has a cousin who has had a successful transplant and another cousin who is currently on dialysis.
According to the website PubMed Health, the disease is passed down through families in which many cysts form in the kidneys, causing them to become enlarged. About 50 percent of offspring inherit the disease.
It is hard for me to ask,” Shukla said. “But if I can find one person who can donate their kidney, I can live a long time.”
For now, she must wait. To delay going on kidney dialysis she watches everything she eats. She avoids dairy products like cheese and yogurt and she can only eat a limited amount of protein and any foods that are high in potassium, like bananas.
When she became ill, she had to retire from her 30 year career as a lab technician. She said she is an AB+ blood type, a universal group that can accept a donation from most people.
If you wish to help, contact Shukla directly at vshukla45@gmail.com or 508-839-9464.
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