In just a few months last year, 91原创鈥檚 Shelagh Brennan went from planning new trips and adventures to scheduling endless rounds of dialysis, after both her kidneys abruptly failed.

鈥淚 went skydiving for my 65th birthday,鈥� Brennan said. 鈥淛ust feeling great.鈥�

She was busy with plans to tick items off her travel bucket list with husband Bryan Frazer, and was a Blockwatch captain and was taking part in the Adopt A Street program for her Murrayville neighbourhood.

That was in the summer of 2019, not long after a routine checkup with her doctor had shown a slight reduction in kidney function.

Brennan also visited Ireland with her brother Kevin in September, meeting some relatives there for the first time. She and her husband Bryan were planning for a winter cruise.

But by the end of the year, she wasn鈥檛 feeling great, feeling difficulty concentrating and with memory issues.

She was referred to a nephrologist and had a biopsy and ultrasound. On Nov. 4 she was told things were not looking good.

鈥淗e said both your kidneys are not working, and we have no known reason why,鈥� said Brennan.

On Dec. 17, after some bloodwork, her doctor ordered her to head straight to the hospital.

鈥淚 was started on dialysis right away.鈥�

Her kidneys had ceased to function.

Brennan spent the next week in Surrey Memorial, only released on Christmas Day after she had a subclavian catheter installed in her chest for future dialysis.

Since then, Brennan鈥檚 life has revolved around two things 鈥� getting to her dialysis appointments, which take place two to three times a week, and getting ready for a hoped-for kidney transplant.

Brennan鈥檚 brother Kevin has already volunteered to be a donor for his older sister, but it isn鈥檛 known yet if he鈥檚 a compatible donor.

So Brennan took a chance on social media. She posted on the Murrayville and Brookswood community Facebook pages.

鈥淚 am asking for potential kidney donors with the hopes that someone may consider coming forward to be tested as a possible match,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淭here is NO pressure for anyone to be tested! Donors do not have to be a relative or even exact blood type to donate.鈥�

The response has been very positive, she said.

Because people can live with just one kidney, it is one of the few organs for which living donor programs are common. There are even programs in which multiple people can be matched up in a 鈥渞ing,鈥� if would-be family donors don鈥檛 match their relative, but do match someone else in need of a kidney in Canada.

Brennan is hoping her plea helps others as well.

In 2018, there were 4,300 Canadians on waiting lists for an organ. Of those, 78 per cent were waiting for a kidney, according to the Kidney Foundation. A seeks to help those in need of a kidney find a donor.

Several prominent locals have had living donor transplants, including former 91原创 Township councillor Charlie Fox, who received a kidney from his wife.

READ MORE: Kidney Walk in Fort 91原创 a very personal issue for Charlie Fox

Brennan is still waiting to see if her brother is compatible, and she has few other options.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any other relatives in this country,鈥� she said.

Meanwhile, she鈥檚 still dealing with the grind of frequent medical appointments and new dietary restrictions.

A dialysis appointment at Surrey Memorial means getting up at 5 a.m., and relying on a ride from either her husband Bryan or a friend or neighbour.

鈥淲e have amazing people who stepped up,鈥� said Frazer.

鈥淧eople have been very good to us,鈥� said Brennan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing.鈥�

She gets home from the dialysis at about noon and it leaves her tired for the rest of the day.

Brennan said her husband has been a hero, taking on the task of cooking for her when she鈥檚 now highly restricted in the foods she can eat.

That鈥檚 made all the more difficult because he has diabetes, so the bland, pale foods such as chicken, rice, and white bread she鈥檚 supposed to stick to aren鈥檛 necessarily good for him.

If she does get a kidney donation, whether from her brother or from someone else, Brennan said it would be a huge change.

鈥淚 would get my life back,鈥� she said. 鈥淩ight now, my life is dialysis and seeing doctors and going for tests.鈥�

She hopes to encourage people to donate to other patients as well.

鈥淭hat would be lovely for other people,鈥� she said.

Anyone interested in finding out about the Living Kidney Donor Program can call 1-855-875-5185 or email kidneydonornurse@vch.ca.