Three Lives, One Family – All Waiting for the Gift of Life
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Shelley Snyder, Executive Director
Cell: 502-322-5401
Email: SSnyder@donatelifeky.org
Three Lives, One Family – All Waiting for the Gift of Life
Kentucky Mother, Daughter, and Son Face the Same Rare Diagnosis
Imagine being told that your child needs a kidney transplant to survive. Now imagine hearing that your other child does too, and that you also need one yourself.
That’s the reality for Amanda Liles and her children, Katelyn Massie and Hunter Collins. All three are battling Alport Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that attacks the kidneys. All three are on the transplant waiting list at the University of Kentucky, hoping and praying for living kidney donors.
“Most families face this kind of health crisis once in a lifetime, if at all,” said Shelley Snyder, Executive Director of Donate Life Kentucky Trust. “This family is facing it three times, at the same time. They need the community’s compassion and action.”
“Organ donation is the greatest gift. I received my first kidney transplant many years ago, and learning that my kidney is failing at the same time as my kids are waiting has been devastating. I want my babies to find donors first and then we’ll work on me,” says Amanda Liles.
How Living Kidney Donation Saves Lives
A living kidney donation can change everything. It can drastically shorten the wait, improve the chances of a successful transplant, and give recipients decades of life. Living kidney donors don’t need to be related to the patient and can give anonymously. Living kidney donors return to their regular activities within days or weeks and can live healthy lives with one kidney.
How You Can Help This Family
Potential donors for Amanda, Katelyn, or Hunter can start the process by contacting the University of Kentucky Transplant Center:
📞 859‑323‑2467
📧 UKlivingdonor@uky.edu
Register as an Organ Donor to Help Others
Even if you can’t be a living donor, you can give hope and potentially save lives in the future. Registering as a donor means that when you pass away, you could give the gift of life to as many as eight people. You can register when you renew your driver’s license or sign up anytime online at www.RegisterMe.org.
“Donation is the greatest gift one person can give another,” said Snyder. “This family is fighting for three chances at life. Every donor, living or registered, gives hope.”
About Donate Life Kentucky Trust
Founded in 1992 by the Circuit Clerks of Kentucky, Donate Life Kentucky Trust is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides vital funds for transplant patients and donor families and increases public education to grow the Donor Registry through scholarships, driver’s license education, and more. Learn more by going to www.donatelifeky.org or text or call or text 1-502-694-3015.
