Long Battle with Rare Kidney Disease
Delana Rovensky received a diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy, also called Berger’s Disease, as a teenager. This rare autoimmune condition progressively damages the kidneys, leading her to end-stage renal failure after decades of management.
She urgently needs a living kidney donor with blood type O+ or O-. Officials informed her that the deceased donor waitlist spans five to nine years for her blood type. “Once I was on the deceased donor list, I was told it’s a five to nine-year wait given my blood type,” she explained. “So, we are doing as much as we can.”
Turning to Social Media and Community
Friends and family underwent testing, but none matched. Four individuals tested overall, with two discovering their own undetected kidney problems. “Good news was two of the people actually didn’t know they had kidney issues so this was good for them,” she noted with a laugh. “They are able to now start their treatment and preventative measures.”
Her support network leverages Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for outreach. They also sell T-shirts that wearers display during walks to spark conversations about organ donation. “We’ve also done up T-shirts that people bought, so if they’re out for walks, they wear the T-shirt to get communication going about transplant donation,” she said. “We hope that gets the message out there that I’m looking.”
Daily Dialysis Routine
The disease severely disrupts her routine. Rovensky performs home peritoneal dialysis four times daily. “I have a catheter in my abdomen, which fluid goes into. It sits for three hours and then it’s replaced with new fluid,” she described. “That’s how I remove the toxins from my system.”
Unable to work, she faces mounting costs for medications, travel to appointments, and daily needs.
Fundraiser and Business Support
Her brother launched a GoFundMe to boost awareness, cover expenses, and assist potential donors. Great White Car Wash contributed $5 per wash on World Kidney Day, March 12, and extended the promotion to March 19 due to weather.
“It impacts not just me, but the ripple effect, you know, my family, my friends,” she shared. “It’s a lot of support emotionally, mentally, physically.”
Alberta’s Organ Donation Challenges
Give Life Alberta highlights that kidney transplant demand surpasses donations nationwide. Patients often wait years for deceased donors, but living donors shorten timelines significantly. The organization reviews living donors from public appeals and anonymous sources but avoids direct recruitment.
In 2025, 272 deceased Albertans donated organs and tissues, while 75 living donors provided kidneys or liver lobes. Over 500 residents await transplants, with 53 waitlisted patients passing away that year.
A Call for Testing
Rovensky shares her story to encourage testing, potentially matching her or others in need. “It would mean everything,” she said. “It would mean living a life.”
