Hi. My name is Naomi Jacobs and I urgently need a kidney transplant. I’m age 52 and have been on dialysis since August, 2023. I am a teacher and scholar in biblical studies, an artist, poet, activist, and writer of speculative fiction, including a novel in which Harvey Milk and Alan Turing meet in the Afterlife and join a team to change history.

Dialysis, including transport, takes up nearly 20 hours a week. It keeps me alive, but cannot replace what an actual kidney does. It also takes a toll on my body and isn’t a good long term solution.

A kidney from a living donor would allow me to get back to doing the things I love, serve my community, and spend time with my young nephew. Kidneys from living donors tend to last longer than from deceased donors.

In preparation for transplant I eat well, sleep well, exercise, and do what I can to stay mentally and creatively active. I will take the greatest care of the precious gift of a kidney.

I would be most grateful if you would share my story. Thank you so much!

For the purpose of completing the UCHEALTH survey, my birthdate is 05/30/1972. Prospective donors can live anywhere in the continental US.