Help Morgan Ebel Find a Kidney Donor

(left-right: KRNA Market President Terry Peters, DJ Jaymz Larson, Morgan Ebel, DJ Mike Ferris, Morgan's mom Deanna Griffith) 

In September 2002 young Morgan Ebel contracted a kidney disease called Crescentic Glomerulonephritis, and underwent her first kidney transplant. After 14 years the transplanted kidney she received from her father has started to fail.

So Morgan, her family members and friends have begun an exhaustive search to find a living kidney donor.

Her mom wrote the radio station about Morgan's condition, which led to the on-air interview today on the KRNA Morning Show with Jaymz Larson.

Our media partners at CBS2 News sent morning reporter Stephanie Johnson to cover the story with an in-depth interview that will air on CBS2 on Friday morning March 3rd.

The Kalona News wrote an excellent article explaining Morgan’s story in detail.

According to the paper “while finding willing donors is a major hurdle, it is made even more complicated by the fact that additional antibodies were created with the first transplant, decreasing the chances of finding a matching kidney that her body’s defense system won’t attack. Antibodies are the main defense against foreign invaders that can lead to illness, but they will also attack foreign tissues such as a transplanted kidney.”

If you would like to find out if you could be a donor match for Morgan, or for another person needing a transplant, you can contact the University of Iowa transplant coordinator at 319-356-8369 to be tested. You can also contact Morgan Ebel direct at 319-461-6412.

Morgan says even if she is not successful in finding a donor match for her transplant, “I want to be a voice of everyone else who needs it and doesn’t have the support system that I have.”

94.1 KRNA will continue to follow this story and we'll keep you updated on Morgan's search and her progress.

[source: Kalona News, CBS2 News]