Kayla Stambaugh, a woman battling lupus nephritis, has issued an emotional plea for a living kidney donor as her health continues to decline.
After three years of searching, her journey has been made even more challenging due to high HLA antibodies, which cause her body to reject most potential matches. With her kidney function now at just 7%, time is running out.
In a heartfelt video shared on her Instagram (@kaylastambaugh), Kayla expressed both her gratitude and desperation, acknowledging the difficulty of asking for help but emphasizing the urgency of her situation.
“For those of you who know me, you know how hard it is for me to make this video. I don’t like showing the tough side of this because I don’t want anyone to carry my pain. But I can’t do this alone,” she shared.
Kayla’s condition requires a donor with O positive blood, preferably someone who has never been pregnant, as pregnancy can create antibodies that complicate the matching process. Despite multiple attempts from willing donors, no match has been found.
“It means the world to me, but I’m making this urgent plea because my boys just really need me to live,” Kayla continued. “They need their mom to be there with the big moments and the small ones, to cheer them on and to help them when life gets tough. The thought of not being here for them is unbearable.”
Lupus nephritis is a severe complication of lupus that attacks the kidneys, often leading to organ failure. Though the disease is largely invisible, its impact is devastating. Kayla, like many others with the condition, faces a critical fight for survival.
“If you’re willing to consider being my donor, please reach out,” she urged. “If you have any questions about antibodies or what this process involves, please don’t hesitate to ask me or call MUSC at 843-792-5097. The MUSC Living Donor form is linked below and is also in my bio if you’re ready to take the first step.”
Kayla’s plea is more than a call for help—it is a mother’s desperate fight to remain in her children’s lives:
“If you’re my match, you’re not just giving me a kidney. You’re giving me a future. You’re giving my boys their mom, my family more time, and me the chance to keep making memories with the people I love.”
For those unable to donate, Kayla asks that her story be shared, hoping it reaches the person who can be her “miracle.”
To learn more about becoming a donor, visit the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Living Donor Program or call 843-792-5097.
