Francis Needs a Kidney
I am a husband, father, and grandfather suffering from end-stage kidney disease. You could save my life.
My Story
Who I Am
My name is Francis Lefaivre. I have a wonderful wife, Karen, who’s also my best friend. I’m the proud father/stepfather of 5 grown daughters who are all strong, amazing women. And I have the most adorable, energetic, smart and fun filled 4 yr old grandson.
In my forced medical retirement due to end stage kidney disease, I am now immune compromised. This has significantly limited my ability to see my grandson, family or friends. While dialysis is keeping me alive, I’m urgently looking for a donor.
Dialysis
In September of 2025 I had to start dialysis. The first step was to insert a central line. This requires constant vigilance to maintain sterility of the line as well as protecting it from damage. It has proven to be a consistent point of challenge through this journey and has already had to be replaced once.
The purpose of dialysis is to remove enough toxins from the blood to allow me to function, without filtering too aggressively for my body to handle. This has proven to be a delicate balancing act that includes having to follow a very restrictive diet. Each dialysis session requires calculations and careful assessment before, during and after I’m connected to the machine. If the balance is even slightly off, the consequences can be serious and far reaching. So far, I have experienced a seizure on the way home from a dialysis session in January which dislocated and fractured my shoulder. I’ve also developed a heart rhythm issue that’s been caused by the strain of dialysis and has added another layer of complexity to my health.
Currently I’m dialyzing at home 4 times a week for 4 hrs each time. During dialysis I am confined to a chair. If we encounter problems during the session, the time required to address the issues can end up adding hours to the process. My wife and I are also responsible for machine set up, maintenance, and managing the medical supplies. In between dialysis sessions I’m struggling with side effects which include profound weakness, exhaustion, nausea, and GI issues which often keep me housebound.
It’s difficult to not feel well enough or strong enough to do the things I love. Swimming isn’t allowed, and it has been several years since I’ve been able to go for a long walk or fly fish. Getting together with family or friends has become a matter of timing between my dialysis sessions, and the hyper vigilance needed to navigate potential cold or flu symptoms of other people. To visit our grandson is a 45-minute drive and even that can be too much.
Family and friends have come forward but, to date, none have cleared as a donor. The wait for a deceased donor is currently up to 4 years. A living donor would not only be much quicker, it could extend my life by about 20 years.
Living On
A few years ago, my wife introduced me to glass fusing. It gave me the opportunity to explore an artistic side I didn’t even know I had! However, since starting dialysis it’s extremely rare that I have the energy or focus needed to be creative.
My dream is to continue to be an important and active part of our grandson’s life; to be able to do all the fun things grandpas do with their grandkids. I want to be the dad who is always available when any of my daughters call for advice or help with a home improvement project. I hope to be able to continue to enjoy all the things that bring so much joy to me and my wife. And all of that rests on receiving a kidney transplant.
Contact Us
If you’re interested in being a living donor, or are curious about what’s involved, get in touch:
We’ll try and answer any questions and concerns to see if this is something you’d be willing to explore further.
This really is your chance to make a difference, not just in my life, but in the lives of all those around me whom I love.