Leah Martin has been hospitalized six times since February and she has to go through dialysis three times each week.  Given her weakened condition, she has been unable to work and provide for her family.

Her mother, Mary Steele, is a perfect match to donate one of her kidneys to her daughter. The surgery is scheduled for November 12th, 2008.

Leah and her mother Mary were able to share their amazing stories with viewers of FOX 44 Local News This Morning. Both spoke of how much life has changed since recieving news of Leah's condition almost nine months ago.

"It happened so fast, everything..that week in February." Leah's mother Mary remembers "She was there for Valentines Day. We were just overwhelmed, but had a lot of support from our Church. Without that? I couldn't imagine going through this."

"I'm on dialysis now, so it's very draining and time consuming. It takes away from a lot of normal activities I was involved in with my family. Just very tiring." Leah explains.

Leah is a single mother of two twin 8 year-old daughters. She says the ordeal has been particularly hard on them.

"They want to see me get better so that we can do all the things we used to do. Just something as simple as going to the park, I just don't have the energy to do it." Leah says.

To find a donor, doctors told Leah to make a list of people she knew with the same blood type. Leah's mom was the first to be tested and proved a perfect match.

"I feel blessed I can give my daughter life for a second time." Mary Steele says "You don't think of this until it hits somebody in your family. So I would just tell people that, there are so many people waiting for a kidney. And we only need one of them." 

Those considering becoming a donor, all expenses are paid for by the recipient's insurance. Medical costs are covered. Work leave would be the only thing a donor needs to sort out. 

In order for Leah to be able to have the transplant operation, about $24,000 needs to be raised to take care of her living expenses and to provide trips to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, New Hampshire.

A tax-deductible bank account has been set up at TD Banknorth to receive donations for Leah's Fund.  There is also a fundraising dinner and silent auction scheduled for November 7, at six in the evening.  Tickets can be purchased through Shirley, just call (802) 527-3729. It's $15.00 per person or $25.00 per couple.