A 28-year-old Suwanee woman is taking her search for a kidney worldwide. Jennifer Wilkes and her loved ones are using Facebook and their family business to try and find a life-saving donation.
Wilkes shows no apparent signs that she's fighting a potentially deadly disease and awaiting a kidney transplant.
"I've always been a very strong person. My family's called me sunshine. So I just try to bring a little bit of sunshine into everything I do. I can't sit and dwell on everything that's going on. It doesn't change anything and it doesn't make it better," said Wilkes.
Jennifer, who works part-time in her father's Suwanee meat market with her boyfriend Cole, spends three days a week on dialysis.
She was diagnosed with Goodpastures disease three years ago. It's an auto-immune condition that attacked her lungs and kidneys, sending her in to kidney failure. She says after three years of chemo and treatments, she's now strong enough to get a kidney donor. When she finally got on the list last week, her father celebrated by adorning his meat market with balloons.
"Parents, they're always been able to fix things for their children. I've always been one to try and do that. But when you have situation like that, that love nor money or anything else can fix it, you feel helpless," said Ronnie Wilkes.
While it's good news that Jennifer is on the list, it could take five years to get a kidney. There are more than 115,000 people on that list. Since she's not sure she has that much time, she's gone on Facebook and is asking everyone she knows to consider being a living kidney donor.
"I have faith that God needed me a stronger to do something really cool," said Jennifer Wilkes. "I've got a lot of living left to do and this isn't going to get me down."
Jennifer has worked in the nursing field and hopes someday to work towards finding a cure for Alzheimer's in honor of her grandmother. She would also like to make dialysis rooms more uplifting and comfortable.
Sunday, May 19 2013 7:24 PM EDT2013-05-19 23:24:30 GMT
Rising flood waters trapped horses inside a Sandy Springs stable on Sunday afternoon. Rescue teams were called to Summit Equestrian Solutions on River Run around 4 p.m.
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Sunday, May 19 2013 7:10 PM EDT2013-05-19 23:10:38 GMT
On a day filled with nasty storms and heavy rains, there is a bright spot. A Suwanee police officer is being credited with saving the life of a baby bunny that was swept away by flood waters.
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Sunday, May 19 2013 2:00 PM EDT2013-05-19 18:00:39 GMT
President Barack Obama addressed a crowd of soggy graduates and guests at Morehouse College's spring commencement ceremony on Sunday.
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Sunday, May 19 2013 1:53 PM EDT2013-05-19 17:53:40 GMT
President Barack Obama addressed graduates at Morehouse College's commencement ceremony in Atlanta on Sunday.
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Saturday, May 18 2013 10:09 PM EDT2013-05-19 02:09:05 GMT
They say you can't win if you don't play, and thousands of people are. The jackpot for Saturday night's Powerball drawing is an estimated $600 million, giving many a bad case of lottery fever.
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Jennifer Wilkes and her loved ones are using Facebook and their family business to try and find a life-saving donation.
