I’m just a hard-working gal born on Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland who loves to travel, volunteer, spend time with friends and family, and care for my rescued cats. After many years on the East coast, I now live in LA at Venice Beach. I love to go for bike rides along the ocean, and look forward to having the energy to do it more often.
I’ve worked as an executive and personal assistant most of my life. My favorite positions have been working in entertainment with talented and interesting people in like actor Dennis Hopper & artist Jim Hodges.
My favorite volunteer activities have been building a small home for an elderly woman in Haiti with the Be Like Brit Foundation, rescuing street cats with organizations like Kitten Rescue, Kitty Bungalow and Flatbush Cats , volunteering for St. Jude’s and working to save the Elizabeth Street Garden in New York City. I look forward to continuing my lifelong commitment to volunteer work once I have my energy back.
HOW DID I GET HERE
I didn’t know my kidneys were in trouble for most of my life.
As a baby, I was very sick. I was thin, fragile, and in and out of surgery. Doctors worked to fix a pinched ureter and other complications. I spent long stretches on antibiotics, had frequent infections, and urine backed up into my kidneys. At the time, no one could say what it would mean later. Then … nothing.
For decades, I lived a full, active life with no obvious warning signs.
That’s the thing about kidney disease. It’s quiet.
In 2008, a doctor noticed something “off.” More tests followed. A biopsy confirmed it: FSGS, a rare, progressive kidney disease characterized by scarring in the kidney’s filtering units (glomeruli), leading to proteinuria (protein in urine), edema, and potential kidney failure. For years, my numbers held steady around 35 eGFR. Doctors believed I might never need dialysis or a transplant.
Then in 2023, everything changed. My kidney function began to fall. No clear reason. Just progression I was told. By mid-2025, it dropped sharply. That moment was terrifying. It seemed like the future suddenly felt much smaller.
Today, I’m living with about 14% (eGFR 14) kidney function, considered Stage 5 kidney disease, end stage.
eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is a lab calculation used by doctors to measure how well your kidneys are filtering waste from your blood.
I’m often tired, and have achy muscles, But I’m still showing up: working full-time, exercising, caring for my rescue cats, and staying active with the support of friends, family, my boss, and co-workers. And now, I’m here, sharing this story, because a living kidney donor could change everything.
If you’re curious, even a little, about what it means to donate a kidney, I invite you to apply, you can begin by filling out a questionnaire with UCLA Kidney Donation program There is no commitment and they won’t tell me you’ve filled it out.
Sometimes, a quiet choice becomes a life-changing one.
A proud cat mom, I have adopted three rescue cats. Marcello, the youngest, was adopted from Kitty Bungalow. He was born in Long Beach and is thriving despite his handicap cerebellar hypoplasia.
His older buddies Valentino and Giovanni were rescued from the Brooklyn Navy Yard and are very happy to be in sunny Venice Beach.
