Nili Raphael Desperately in Need of a Kidney

By Journalist Ms. Jones

NEWBURGH – Nili Raphael, mother of three, is a retired Home Health Aide with the Orange County Health Department. For thirty years she has taken care of sick patients. She also took care of her late husband and mother who both passed away from End Stage Kidney Failure. Ironically, Raphael was diagnosed with End Stage Kidney Failure in October 2017.
End Stage Kidney Failure is the last stage of kidney disease. It occurs when one’s kidneys can no longer support their body’s needs. The kidneys discard waste and extra fluids from the body. Without the kidney’s filtering abilities, harmful amounts of fluid, waste, and electrolytes can build up in the body.

“I was devastated [when I was diagnosed]. After 30 years of taking care of people, I’m confined. I can’t enjoy my retirement,” said Raphael.

When a person has End Stage Kidney Failure, dialysis or a kidney transplant is necessary to live.

“I’m doing dialysis four hours a day, three days a week… After dialysis, I’m so tired. I’m exhausted. It’s taken my life away,” said Raphael who has to go to dialysis until she finds a kidney, according to her doctors. The dialysis has affected her day-to-day life. “There are two tubes coming out of my chest that they hook up to the machine. One to take the blood out to clean it and the other tube puts it back in. I can’t take a shower… I go to the beauty parlor once a week… and she shampoos my hair. I can’t get my chest wet.”

Raphael’s children are very concerned.

“I was really scared [when my mom was diagnosed] because my dad and grandmother died while being on dialysis… For a long time, I believed that maybe was the end of my mom’s life because of how things ended up with my dad and my grandmother,” said her daughter Julie.
Raphael is looking for someone to donate a kidney so she can continue to spend time with her children.

“The kids will not have anyone if something happens to me,” said Raphael.

Raphael’s Blood Type is O positive. Blood Type O individuals can receive only from other Blood Type O individuals even though they can donate to people of any ABO Blood Type, which is synonymous of what Raphael has done throughout her life giving to others.

“We’re asking for someone to step up and help her…. At one point we thought we had two donors, but they weren’t a match… We need to spread the word to help her get a compatible match… Spreading the word can only get us one step further… The hope gives my mom strength to go one more day,” said Julie.

To donate or for more information, email kidney4nili@gmail.com.