Georgia Army veteran hopes new year brings a new kidney

ATHENS, Ga. - Lydia Burden has been placed on the critical transplant list because of her declining condition according to The National Foundation for Transplants.

“One needle goes in to that takes the blood out to filter it through the machine and the other needle goes in to put the blood, the clean blood, back in,” said Burden.

The critical aspect of getting a kidney transplant as soon as possible for Lydia Burden is centered around a large lump on her right arm. It’s grown after dialysis three times a week for four hours a day. It has also punctured her vein leaving two large blood clots and two hematomas.

Ms. Burden says doctors hope to find a kidney transplant before they remove the hematomas.

“They won’t want to touch it if I’m going to get a transplant first. So we are trying to wait as long as we can and then we are going to fix it all at one time,” said Burden.

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She said she’s been on a kidney waiting list at Emory Hospital for seven years with an average wait time of five to ten years. Without a new kidney Burden would be burdened with continued dialysis.

“Seven years of doing that three times a week, four hours a day you can start to develop other complications,” said Burden.

Lydia Burden was diagnosed with kidney disease in 1991 while stationed in Korea where she met her husband Eric. She received her first kidney transplant while in the Army in 1993. Years later the Army veterans continue down the path of hope and healing with Eric as Lydia’s caregiver.

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“Faith is really the main thing I mean it’s been challenging but hey you know that’s life though,” said Eric Burden. 

Faith, lots of medicine and family support got the couple to this juncture where the National Foundation for Transplants has moved Lydia to the critical list of finding a new kidney. 

“I can’t do everything but I can do some of the things that I want to do and I have a lot of help so that makes a big difference,” said Burden.

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One area of great hope for Lydia Burden is in Charlotte North Carolina where she said she has been placed at the top of the kidney transplant list at the Atrium Transplant Center.

CLICK HERE for more information on Lydia Burden and the National Foundation For Transplants.