Another New Tampa Resident Is Seeking A Kidney Donor

By GARY NAGER

Despite our best efforts, we honestly have never really been able to raise much in the way of funds over the years for so many worthy causes. I am proud to say, however, that the Neighborhood News has been able to bring some of our readers together to help individuals in need.

That is especially true about people in need of a kidney donor, as, in 2021, New Tampa resident Joel Morales donated one of his two healthy kidneys to then-13year-old fellow New Tampa resident Raj Guntuku after reading about Raj’s failing kidneys in an earlier issue.

And, earlier this year, we brought two other Neighborhood News readers together to help a Land O’Lakes man find his own kidney donor.

So, here we are again, trying to help New Tampa resident Vernessa Culmer’s longtime boyfriend William (“Will”) Messina find Vernessa a kidney, as she has been receiving dialysis three days a week since February of 2022, after having received a kidney transplant almost six years ago, in May of 2017.

“The kidney Vernessa received was from someone who had just passed away and the doctors (at Tampa General Hospital) said it had a lot of cysts on it, but we were happy that Vernessa got almost five years of it working,” says Will, is the chief nurse for ambulatory care at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. “Vernessa has Type O blood, which means she is able to accept kidneys from more people than those with most other blood types.”

However, Will adds, there are other factors that also figure into whether or not an available kidney is a match for a recipient and, as of the day we sent this issue to press, Vernessa had not yet found both a matching kidney and a willing donor.

“One lady from New Jersey was a match, but I guess she changed her mind about donating her kidney,” Will says. “Yes, you can live with just one healthy kidney, but it can still be a scary proposi- tion for people. If I or members of Vernessa’s family were a match for her, she’d already have received a new one.”

In fact, because he is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (who earned his DNP degree from the University of Miami, Will says he would even offer the couple’s home in West Meadows for any donor who is willing to step up to help Vernessa. “I would gladly take care of anyone as they recover from surgery right here,” he says. “I have plenty of vacation time I could use to help them recover. We’re just desperate to find someone.”

Will also says that he is willing to donate a kidney to someone else in need, especially if Vernessa is able to find a donor.

“I’m definitely willing to pay it forward,” he says. “I know there are a lot of other people out there in need, too.”

Vernessa says that she knows she’s physically not yet in as bad shape as some people waiting for kidneys, some of whom have to have dialysis five times a week.

“I’m not overweight and I am able to get around myself,” she says. “But she definitely has gotten worse,” Will adds.

To find out if you’re an eligible donor match for Vernessa Culmer, visit TampaGeneralLivingDonation.org and enter “Vernessa Culmer, Birthdate 5/28/1975.” For more information, call Will Messina at (813) 380-0343.