Bonita Springs community leader Debi Braendle in urgent need of kidney donor

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. - For decades, Debi Braendle has dedicated her life to giving back to the Bonita Springs community.

From serving on nonprofit boards to raising funds for local organizations, she has spent her days helping others. Now, the 72-year-old is facing her own health crisis, and she’s asking the community for help.

Braendle, a longtime resident of Southwest Florida, was diagnosed with kidney disease more than 10 years ago. Her condition has now progressed to stage five kidney disease, meaning her kidneys are failing and she is days away from needing dialysis. She is currently on the deceased donor list at Tampa General Hospital, but the wait for a transplant can stretch four to ten years depending on blood type.

“My motto has always been to make a difference,” Braendle said. “And if I can make a difference in people's lives, in children's lives, or in young women's lives or in seniors lives, then that's what I want to do.”

Braendle’s decades of community service include leadership roles on the boards of the YMCA of Bonita Springs, the Bonita Springs Community Fund, Wonder Gardens, and the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, among others. She’s also volunteered with local churches and children’s programs, always using her experience as a corporate executive to help nonprofits thrive.

Now, it’s her turn to ask for help.

Debi’s best chance at a longer, healthier life is a living kidney donor. Her blood type is B, which is rare, but she may also be able to receive a kidney from A2, A2B, or O donors. Even if a donor isn’t a direct match, the Paired Kidney Exchange Program can still help her find a compatible kidney.

“Unless I find a live kidney donor, I'll be on the list for another four years, which means my quality of life will begin to suffer and deteriorate over time,” Braendle said.

Kidney disease is often called a “silent disease” because many people don’t realize they have it until it’s advanced. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kidney disease killed 3,515 people in Florida in 2023, and 90% of people with chronic kidney disease are unaware of it. Stage five kidney disease requires dialysis or a transplant to survive.

Through her campaign, “Are You My Type?”, Braendle hopes to raise awareness about kidney disease while finding a living donor. “If I can change one person's life, if I can talk to one person about being a live kidney donor to save a life,” she said.

Braendle is preparing to begin peritoneal dialysis at home, a treatment she hopes will allow her to remain active while she waits for a donor kidney. Even with dialysis, she says fatigue is a daily challenge.

For anyone interested in learning more about kidney donation or potentially becoming a donor, visit R-You-My-Type.org for more information and resources.