Disney World cast member in need of a kidney donor

by Matt Roseboom | Orlando Attractions Magazine

If you’ve seen a parade at the Magic Kingdom you’ve probably seen Olga. But what you wouldn’t know is that this Walt Disney World cast member is need of a kidney. Her fellow friends and cast members are helping to raise money for her treatment and are helping in her search for a donor.

Olga Rivera is a parade captain at the Magic Kingdom. But she’s not only a cast member, she’s also a good friend to many and a mom who is suffering from stage 5 kidney failure. She’s on dialysis but needs a kidney as soon as possible. Because she has a high antibody load, she needs a living donor – which isn’t easy to find. A Facebook group was started to try to spread the word.

According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, 95,599 people in the United States are awaiting a kidney transplant. There are 3,332 Floridians waiting for a kidney donation.

Olga’s friends are selling green bracelets (kidney disease), with all the proceeds going to the cost of her transplant. The bands are one for $3 or two for $5. More information about purchasing the bands is available on the Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/akidneyforolga

Potential donors will fill out a living donor application packet, then will:
• Give an initial blood test to determine compatibility, blood type and matching.
• Attend a donor education meeting.
• Undergo a psychosocial, nephrology and sugical evaluation with CT scan.
Some tests may need repeated and cardiac testing will be done if you’re 50 or older.

If you’re considering donating a kidney to Olga, please contact Olga’s living donor coordinator, Christina Fuentes RN-BC, at 407-303-3626 or christina.fuentes@flhosp.org. Anything discussed will be strictly confidential.