Natalie's story
Natalie Busby is a 33-year-old mum of five kids living in Port Elliot, South Australia. She is currently in kidney failure, and needs a living kidney donor.
​
​Before her illness, Natalie ran an organic vegetable delivery company on the Fleurieu Peninsula. She is a dedicated incredible mum to her 5 young kids and a special friend to many. She can be found in our local cafes and watching YouTube videos of furniture restorations thinking “Yeah, I could probably do that.”
​
Receiving a kidney from a living donor would extend Natalie’s life beyond 5 years and give her children their mum back. It would be a life-changing gift and you would be a literal life saver.
​
You can learn more about donating a kidney below or by emailing natalieneedsakidney@gmail.com.
More info
I want to consider donating my kidney. What should I do?
First, if you're blood type O+ or O-, book an appointment with your GP about whether donating a kidney could be a possibility for you. Then, get in touch with Natalie's team at natalieneedsakidney@gmail.com, and we can give you further information about next steps to be considered.
​
Donating a kidney is a major life choice, and you can easily opt out from the process at any time. Natalie would be completely understanding. She is just grateful to anybody who might be considering donating their kidney.
​
Why does Natalie need a new kidney?
Natalie’s kidneys have progressively failed over the last few years, likely due to a rare genetic disease.
How is Natalie at the moment?
Natalie is on dialysis every second day. This involves a one-hour drive to Adelaide, and five hours in the hospital each time. It’s an unpleasant experience that leaves her with days-long headaches, nausea and crippling fatigue.
Dialysis is not a long-term solution. It doesn’t completely clean her blood, and there is a high risk of complications like heart attacks. The average life expectancy of people on dialysis is 5 to 10 years.
Natalie is currently receiving dialysis straight from her heart which leaves her vulnerable to life-threatening infections and damage.
What about the public kidney waiting list?
Because the conditions required for a deceased donor are very specific, the public waiting list is around 5 years. This time period puts Natalie at great risk. So we are looking for a living kidney donor for Natalie.
What about family donors?
Due to the likely genetic causes of the disease, family members are ruled out so as to reduce risks of complications to Natalie and themselves.
Five people initially signed up as potential donors, but none has been a match so far.
What blood type is Natalie?
Natalie is O+. That means she can receive kidneys from people with blood types that are O+ or O-. For now, we are only exploring kidney options that are a direct blood-type match (O+ or O-).
What’s involved with donating?
Donating a kidney involves numerous medical and psychological tests to ensure you're fit to donate. The surgery requires 4-10 days recovery in hospital, and several weeks' recovery at home. For more information about what's involved with kidney donation, read this fact sheet from Kidney Health Australia. More information can also be found at Kidney Health Australia's website.
​
Kidney donors have the same life expectancy as people with two kidneys. Living kidney donors are very healthy and carefully chosen to minimise the risk to their health. Living donors are unlikely to develop kidney problems in the future. The removal of one kidney triggers the other kidney to increase in size and function.
​
Being a living kidney donor means having major surgery. This always carries a risk of serious complications including death.
​
I'm in a different country. Can I donate?
Donors from Australia and New Zealand can certainly donate. Donors from countries other than these will be more logistically complex, but we'd still love to hear from you.
​
How can I keep up with Natalie's story?
Follow Natalie's Instagram @yougottabekidneyingme.
​
Can I help in other ways?
Share this website and post as far and wide as possible! A new kidney is the key thing that would be a game changer for Natalie’s life.
​
Feel free to share photos like the one below on social media, linking to natalieneedsakidney.com:
​
​
​
​
​
In early 2023, Natalie's friends set up a GoFundMe page on her behalf. And in a testament to Natalie's kindness and resilience, they raised over $11,000. Natalie was overwhelmed with the support.
Now, Natalie doesn't need further cash donations. What she really needs is a kidney donation. Help us get the word out.
