Charlotte Ottley’s new kidney.
She knows it’s out there.
And she and a cadre of supporters are using social media, videos and everything they can to locate that generous someone – the matching donor with a gift of life – one new kidney. A group of about 200 held a rally on November 26 to show her love, and to spread the word about signing up to become a donor.
“This experience has proven to be much bigger than me,” Ottley said. “Families are talking more about uncomfortable topics. Hopefully it’s increasing awareness and an increased interest.”
Here is her backstory: A number of things took its toll on the function of Ottley’s own kidneys over the last several years.
It was thinking that diabetes was a one-time thing, and she just needed to lose a little weight, and that would take care of it.
It was hypertension.
It was the lower limb breakdowns that she thought was arthritis – that could be managed; anemia – managed with iron infusions – health occurrences that seemed unrelated at the time.
It was the stresses of a successful, yet demanding marketing and development consulting career that catered to the needs of businesses and organizations.
It was putting everything and everyone ahead of Charlotte and Charlotte’s wellness.
And even the blessings of being a caregiver to loved ones, while perhaps missing that her own health was deteriorating, bit-by-bit and more than she ever could have imagined.
In February, Ottley said she went to the doctor thinking they were going to put her on insulin and found out that her kidneys were failing.
“I was told that I was in the fourth stage of renal failure. It’s like someone throwing a bucket of cold water in your face,” Ottley said.
Until that moment, kidney failure was nowhere on her radar. She now tells professional women and everyone to listen to your body, pay attention and have a complete understanding of your health condition and how to manage it before it is at a critical point.
“The breakdown in your leg was gout because your kidney can’t handle uric acid and the anemia is your cells are not reproducing, because your autoimmune system is low because of your kidneys and everything was leading back to kidney failure,” she said.
“And it was a lack of knowledge of how that impacts your body that I just didn’t know.
“I was stuck on what I heard about diabetes – I was worried about not getting a leg cut off; I was worried about not going on insulin. I was worried about not getting a sore that didn’t heal. I didn’t have a clue about the consequences of kidney failure.”
For months, shock and shame isolated her and she concealed her illness, until August, when a friend, Dorinda Walker, created a graphic that spread through social media.
Ottley knows now that she is not alone – and was never alone. And people do care and want to help.
Now, the 71-year-old St. Louisan is laser-focused on finding that one person with that one kidney that will keep her from going on dialysis next month and will restore her to back to health. She knows it’s a longshot (nurses told her so) –but that is what Ottley specializes in – making things happen for others. This time, her ultimate client is Charlotte Ottley, in search of a new kidney.
“I have coached many people over the years on surviving success through changes, challenges and choices. I written handbooks, a book, given seminars and tried to live what I teach,” Ottley said. “Now I am up to bat.”
She decided to do two things: Trust God and use the gifts He gave her to save herself.
The first step to signing up to become a kidney donor for Charlotte Ottley is to call the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Kidney Transplant Office at 1-800-633-9906, ext. 4. Extension 4 is where callers specify they want to donate for Charlotte. The person on the other line will do a donor prescreen, which is a series of health history questions to determine whether the caller can indeed become a potential donor.
Blood tests determine if a recipient and potential donor are kidney matches. Blood type, tissue typing and antibody cross matching are all analyzed for compatibility to lessen the risk of organ rejection. If a match is found, the potential donor determines whether they want to proceed.
“The donor has all the way up until they put the anesthesia cup on them to say no. I won’t know who my donor is until we are up on the operating tables looking at each other, Ottley said. “And that donor gets the chance to choose the date, so somebody has the power to determine my life by date and time.”
Find out more about Charlotte’s journey for a new kidney by searching the hashtag #KidneyForCharlotteSTL. To inquire about becoming a kidney donor for Charlotte Ottley, call the Barnes- Jewish Hospital Kidney Transplant office at 1-800-633-9906, ext. 4.
“Kidneys do not last more than 10 to 15 years, so I know how I want to I spend my next 10 to 15 years,” Ottley said. “As a desirable, productive (she laughs) sexy senior citizen!
“Help me save my life please.”
