Delana Rovensky, an Edmonton resident diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy—also known as Berger’s Disease—during her teenage years, now faces end-stage kidney failure after decades battling the rare progressive autoimmune condition. She urgently needs a living kidney donor with blood type O+ or O- to avoid a lengthy wait on the deceased donor list.

Long Wait Times Prompt Public Appeal

Patients with her blood type often face a five- to nine-year wait for a deceased donor kidney. “Once I was on the deceased donor list, I was told it’s a five- to nine-year wait given my blood type,” Rovensky explained. “So, we are doing as much as we can.”

While some friends and family members have tested as potential matches, none proved compatible. However, four individuals underwent screening, and two discovered their own undiagnosed kidney issues. “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.”

Social Media and Community Outreach

Rovensky and her support network leverage social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to spread awareness. They also sell custom T-shirts that wearers don during walks to spark conversations about transplant donation. “We hope that gets the message out there that I’m looking,” she said.

Daily Struggles with Home Dialysis

The disease profoundly affects her routine. Rovensky performs peritoneal dialysis four times daily at home using an abdominal catheter. “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 significant financial burdens from medications, travel to appointments, and daily expenses.

Fundraising to Support Treatment and Donors

Her brother launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for these costs and to assist potential donors through the process. Local business Great White Car Wash contributed $5 per wash on World Kidney Day, March 12, and extended the promotion to March 19 due to weather conditions. “It impacts not just me, but the ripple effect, you know, my family, my friends,” Rovensky shared. “It’s a lot of support emotionally, mentally, physically.”

Alberta Organ Donation Statistics

Give Life Alberta highlights that kidney transplant demand far exceeds donations nationwide. Living donor waits are considerably shorter than for deceased donors. The organization evaluates living donors from public appeals and anonymous sources but does not engage in recruitment.

In 2025, 272 deceased donors in Alberta provided organs and tissues, while 75 living donors contributed a kidney or liver lobe. Over 500 Albertans await life-saving transplants, with 53 on the list passing away that year.

Rovensky hopes her story encourages testing, potentially matching her or aiding another in need. “It would mean everything,” she said. “It would mean living a life.”