In 2002, Nathalie De received a phone call that would change the course of her life.

Just after graduating from college, eager to realize her dreams of helping orphans in Ivory Coast, West Africa, she received her father’s health prognosis.

He had polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

Polycystic kidney disease is an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within your kidneys, causing kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time, according to Mayo Clinic.

Kidneys filter waste and excess fluids from blood, which are then excreted in urine.

In the United States, about 600,000 people have PKD and it is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

It’s found in all races and sexes and causes about 5 percent of all kidney failure.

Although some complications are preventable, lifestyle changes and treatments might help reduce damage to kidneys from complications, according to Mayo Clinic.

De learned that there was no known cure for the disorder, that her father would need dialysis to support his failing kidney and eventually a kidney transplant, if he was a candidate.

“I was hopeful and was not ready to let him go yet,” said De.

It was at this point where De decided to donate one of her kidneys.

Although she was determined to help her father, De soon found out that she herself had inherited the disease.

“I went from feeling disappointed that I couldn’t help my father, to scared that my life was over, to fortunate to have found that out at an early stage, to scared again,” said De.

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Her father never lost hope and always shared words of encouragement with his daughter, but soon succumbed to his disorder.

Sixteen years later, De receives hemodialysis three days a week for three hours, and is still hopeful for better days ahead.

During these 16 years, she had many life changes in addition to her health.

De married and became the mother of four boys all while managing her health and her husband’s disease, cancer.

“There have been many twists and turns,” said De. “Looking at my sons playing or quarrelling has made the journey bearable.”

Today, De is a widowed mother of four and in need of a kidney.

“I am left to raise my boys incapacitated by an illness that is taking a toll on me every day,” said De.

There are currently 121,678 people waiting for lifesaving transplants in the United States. In 2016, 100,791 people were waiting for kidney transplants, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

In 2014, 4,761 patients died while waiting for a kidney transplant. That’s 13 people per day.

Every 14 minutes, someone is added to the kidney transplant list.

An additional 3,668 people became too sick to even receive a kidney transplant.

“I know organ donation is not something that everybody is able and willing to do,” said De. “Keep in mind that you don’t have to be a perfect match, or have the same blood type or gender to donate.”

For more information, call the UCLA kidney transplant program at (310) 267-6910 or visit their website here.

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