September 2026
We continue to lift up prayers for David Hoekstra, who is hoping to receive a kidney transplant. He is raising awareness about kidney donation and would be grateful for any who are called to learn more about this life-saving gift as potential donors. Living donors don’t need to be biologically related and are generally only ineligible due to several conditions. For more information go to www.exploretransplant.org to learn how to help and about the medical advances that make kidney donation safe. You can also call the University of Michigan Living Kidney Donor Coordinator at 800-333-9013 or visit www.uofmhealth.org/medical-services/transplant, mentioning David’s birthdate, 4/29/82, and residence in Okemos.
A previous message from David can be read below.
September 2025
Dear Family & Friends,
As many of you know, I have kidney disease and my working kidney has failed. In order for me to have freedom, energy, and a chance at a long life, I will require a transplant. While I am grateful to have dialysis to keep me alive for the time being, the procedure drains me of time and energy, as well as causes its own unique health challenges.
I am now eligible to receive a transplant within the next year if I can find someone who is willing to donate. A living donor doesn’t need to be biologically related to me, and our blood types don’t need to match. Living donors are generally only ineligible due to a select few conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney problems of their own.
Due to this urgent circumstance, I am asking for your help to spread the word. If you can spare the time, please go to www.exploretransplant.org to learn how you can help, as well as about the advances in medicine that have made kidney donation safe and effective. My hope is that enough of you will share my need for a living donor with your friends and family, so that perhaps a kind soul will make the incredibly generous decision to donate.
Finally, if you feel called to do so, you are invited to consider becoming a living donor yourself. I know that this is a personal decision, and it isn’t right for everyone. If you are open to learning more about the process, the website above features several donor testimonies and the enormous impacts their donations have made. For even more information about living donation, I invite you to contact the University of Michigan Living Kidney Donor Coordinator at 800-333-9013 or to visit to the sites below.
I truly thank you all for sharing this vital information!
Websites (the first is an overview; the second is more specific information for potential donors):
www.uofmhealth.org/medical-services/transplant;
https://umichumhs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4YiUs39kUHCjYbk?Q_CHL=qr
Email: TXP-Donors@med.umich.edu
With Hope and Thanks,
David D. Mercado-Allende (Hoekstra)