Welcome
My name is Elizabeth, and I created this website for my beloved husband who is desperately in need of a kidney donor. Please read below to learn more about our story and how you can help us.
Our Story
Hello, my name is Elizabeth Keum, and I am writing on behalf of my husband, Kyoungho Keum, who is currently undergoing dialysis due to kidney failure. We are a married couple residing in North Georgia, USA.
From a young age, I dreamed of becoming a missionary. In 2017, I married my husband, a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary who aspired to serve as a pastor. Our wedding was a joyful celebration, blessed by many. My husband is a man of great patience and deep compassion, making me feel like a princess every day. Friends and acquaintances often praise his kindness, saying they have never met anyone as good-hearted as him.
In 2022, my husband was ordained as a pastor at Grace Korean Church and began serving in ministry. Though the income was modest, we were grateful to earn enough for the two of us and enjoyed a happy life together.
In 2023, we received life-altering news. Due to a family history of diabetes, my husband's kidney function had significantly declined, and dialysis became unavoidable. Dialysis was unfamiliar and frightening to us, but as we searched for alternatives, his kidney function only deteriorated. In late July 2023, he began dialysis, and our lives changed completely.
Since starting dialysis, my husband has grown weaker as his muscles gradually atrophy. He now depends on dialysis 3 times a week for 3 hours (or 4 hours including preparation and wrap-up time) each session to sustain his life. Already restricted by diabetes in his food choices, he has had to adopt an even more restrictive renal diet, giving up many foods he loved. After a year and four months of dialysis, his declining strength forced him to step back from his ministry work and take a break.
To maintain our health insurance, I work full-time while caring for my husband. He spends most of his time at home, resting and engaging in spiritual practices, but his physical condition continues to weaken.
The only hope for my husband’s recovery is to receive a healthy kidney. A new kidney would not only allow him to enjoy a wider variety of foods and begin exercising to regain his strength, but it would also give back the 12 hours a week currently spent on dialysis. This time could be used for meaningful pursuits and the ministry work he loves.
We fervently pray for the day when my husband receives the gift of a new kidney. While we were overjoyed to learn in early December 2024 that his name has finally been added to the transplant waiting list, we are anxious knowing that the average wait time in GA is 5-10 years. My husband’s health is declining too rapidly to wait that long.
If you feel moved by this letter and are willing to consider becoming a kidney donor for my beloved husband, we would be eternally grateful. A new kidney would truly transform his life. If kidney donation is not possible, I kindly ask that you keep my husband in your prayers. Please pray that he receives a new kidney soon, regains his vitality, and fulfills his calling to do God’s work. Your prayers and compassionate heart give him the strength to persevere.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
December 30, 2024