Be the lifeline: Hoxworth spotlights two local women who need a match

Deneal Dannelly is 29 years old and living with end-stage renal failure, or kidney disease. She needs a new kidney and hopes YOU can be her donor.

Deneal enjoys walking her dog, biking, spending time outdoors with friends and exploring the Greater Cincinnati region. But most of these activities have become severely limited — or altogether impossible — in recent months. That’s because Deneal needs a kidney now.

Some of her symptoms include fatigue, hair loss, difficulty sleeping and dietary restrictions; she’s had to avoid salty foods, dark sodas and more.

Deneal has known for more than 10 years that she would eventually need a kidney transplant. She was officially placed on the transplant list in March 2024, and her status became active in January. More than 60 people have taken the swab test in hopes of being a match, but for various reasons, none have matched with Deneal.

She also undergoes dialysis for eight hours a day, every day, an incredibly taxing process both physically and emotionally. Yet she continues to show strength, hope and determination throughout her journey.

Your selfless desire to help those in need brings hope to patients like Emily Sikora. Emily is a 35-year-old wife, mom and creative professional in Cincinnati, Ohio, living with a rare blood cancer called primary myelofibrosis. This affects about one in every 100,000 people. Emily was diagnosed in June 2024 after experiencing severe headaches following the birth of her first son.

Emily’s health is constantly being monitored, but she has been told the cancer will get worse until she finds a stem cell donor. Because most people with her type of cancer are older than 60, she’s navigating through uncharted territory.

Emily says even if you aren’t a match for her, you could save some else’s life through this relatively simple procedure.

“It’s really simple and a low-risk activity, similar to giving blood,” explains Emily, “You have the possibility to save someone’s life facing blood cancer or a blood disorder they can’t survive without a transplant.”

Donors are the only hope people with this type of cancer have. Much like blood, the only source of stem cells is from a human donor. Finding an unrelated donor can be extremely difficult, and the process of searching takes time. The more people like you who register now, the higher the chances Emily and other patients like her have of finding a perfect match. Be that hope for Emily and other patients like her. You can request a swab through DKMS at this link.