Meet Zoe Schumacher

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zoe Schumacher a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Zoe, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience is at the core of my being. I am a twenty-one year old who recently went through kidney failure. One visit to the emergency room catapulted me into the unimaginable whirlwind of procedures, diagnoses, and trauma I endured this past year. One day, I was seemingly a healthy college student; the next, I was a dialysis patient, barely holding any quality of life.

I will never forget hearing the E.R. doctor tell me my creatinine, an indicator of kidney function, was at 10 mg/dL, when it should be around 1 mg/dL. After thorough testing, I was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) caused by an autoimmune disorder. This information was hard to process, but I never lost hope. I remained hopeful with the goal of getting a kidney transplant.

From the onset of my diagnosis, I fervently fought to advocate for myself. It is the unfortunate truth that we Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients hold the responsibility to promote our stories in order to find living kidney donors. I leaned on my community at Kansas State University, as a student and member of the marching band, to spread my dire need for a donor. Eight months after my diagnosis, I secured a living donor match and had a successful kidney transplant.

I became a passionate advocate for organ donation throughout this process, and want my story to serve as hope and inspiration for the CKD community. My journey has been metamorphic, transforming me into a resilient warrior with great aspirations for helping others.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I believe I was meant to contribute to the world through my creativity. It was not until my experience with kidney failure that I knew what message I was meant to share. At Kansas State University, I studied Marketing and Graphic Design, a combination that provided me with the exact tools I needed to find a kidney donor astonishingly fast. I created short films depicting life on dialysis as a college student with a call-to-action of how to get tested to be my living kidney donor. My mission in life is to now help others accomplish this feat. You can find my work at @zoeschu.art on Instagram or at zoeschu.my.canva.site.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

First, grit. My journey has not been without tribulations. With a sudden chronic diagnosis, I mourned the loss of my younger, healthier self. Yet, I persevered. Know that going through something life-altering will make you stronger.

Second, hope. My advice when facing adversity is to realize you have already made it through everything you have ever encountered. Take peace in knowing you can climb every mountain in the distance because you are already conquering Mount Everest.

Third, and most importantly, joy. I will never forget this simple statement my dad said regarding what my family has endured: “still, every day, we have joy.” The simple joys of being alive and having my loved ones by my side got me through the hardest of times.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am eager to collaborate with organizations who provide resources for those on dialysis or are seeking a kidney transplant. My dream is to work alongside Donate Life, The National Kidney Foundation, The United Network for Organ Sharing, and Midwest Transplant Network. I aim to use my creativity and marketing skills to revolutionize the industry. You can connect with me through my website, social media, or LinkedIn.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Personal photo – Avery Johnson @averyreedphoto on Instagram

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