Omnivore - Got kidney?

I ran into Dan Krinsky today. He and his wife Ticha are co-chefs and owners of Tierra, our city’s best pan-Latin restaurant.

Dan has been on the hunt for a kidney donor for about two years and began dialysis three times a week in December. He has Polycystic Kidney Disesase (PKD), a genetic disorder with which he was diagnosed about six years ago following routine blood work.

His blood type is O — the most common type, which means the competition for a donor organ is intense. Although he is on lists for a cadaver kidney, he prefers a live donor.  “I’ve had seven potential donors, including customers, friends and employees,” he said, “but all of them have been rejected for one reason or another.”

Recent research has concluded that donating a kidney does not affect the health or life expectancy of healthy donors. All donor costs will be paid by Dan’s insurance company. “It’s laparascopic surgery,” he said, “so the recovery is only a couple of weeks.”

Meridith Ford Goldman, of the AJC, wrote a column about Dan in May of last year. You can read that for more details. Also check out his wife Ticha’s blog, Dan Needs a Kidney. If you are interested in learning more, write danneedsakidney@gmail.com or call the restaurant, 404-874-5951.

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)