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. This rare progressive autoimmune condition has led her to urgently seek a living kidney donor with blood type O+ or O-.
Long Wait Times Prompt Public Appeal
Rovensky faces a five-to-nine-year wait on the deceased donor list due to her blood type. Several friends and family members have undergone testing, but none matched. Positively, two testers discovered their own kidney issues early, allowing them to begin treatment and preventive care, Rovensky noted with a laugh.
To broaden the search, Rovensky and her supporters leverage social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, alongside custom T-shirts worn during walks to spark conversations about transplant donations.
Daily Struggles with Dialysis
The disease profoundly affects Rovensky’s routine. She performs home peritoneal dialysis four times daily through an abdominal catheter. Fresh fluid enters for three hours to draw out toxins before replacement, she explained.
Fundraiser Supports Search and Costs
Rovensky’s brother launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise awareness, cover medical travel, medications, daily expenses—since she cannot work—and assist potential donors financially. Great White Car Wash contributed $5 per wash on World Kidney Day, March 12, and extended the promotion to March 19 due to inclement weather.
“It impacts not just me, but the ripple effect on my family and friends—emotionally, mentally, and physically,” Rovensky said.
Alberta Organ Donation Statistics
Give Life Alberta highlights that kidney transplant demand exceeds donations nationwide. Patients may wait years for deceased donors, but living donors significantly shorten timelines. The organization evaluates publicly solicited and anonymous living donors but does not recruit them.
In 2025, Alberta recorded 272 deceased organ and tissue donors alongside 75 living donors providing kidneys or liver lobes. Over 500 Albertans await life-saving transplants, with 53 waitlisted individuals passing away that year.
Rovensky hopes her story motivates testing that could match her or others in need. “It would mean everything—it would mean living a life,” she said.
