Hi. My Name is Naomi S. S. Jacobs and I’m in urgent need of a living kidney donor. Please share my story.

About Me

I’ve been a Jewish community educator for nearly 20 years, with students aged 6-80+, including Hebrew and B’nai Mitzvah prep for children who learn differently.

I also taught at the University level from 2000 to 2008. My publications include a study of food and eating in a Jewish fairy tale from the Dead Sea Scrolls. I’m also an artist, poet, and activist.

Right now I’m working on a queer, Jewish speculative novel starring Harvey Milk and Alan Turing in the afterlife and doing my best to support my friends, family, and wider communities.

You can check out my author website, artist website,and my scholarship . You can also get to know me better through my recent podcast interview.

My Story

In 2009 I found out my kidneys were harmed by a medication I’d been taking. I did my best to control diet and exercise but 13 years later they got worse and in August 2023 I began dialysis.

Dialysis keeps me alive, but can’t replace what an actual kidney does. It also takes a toll on my body and isn’t a good long term solution. A transplant is the best treatment for someone as young as me at 53.

Since I made the video above, I received a kidney from a deceased donor in December 2024. But the kidney never worked right and soon was declared a failure. The promise of a new life without dialysis was shattered within three months.

It turns out, the surgical team was given incorrect information about the kidney. This is a systemic problem. The best way of ensuring I get a high-quality kidney is through a living donor.

You can read more about my journey on Caringbridge, as well as the latest health updates.

Why I Need a Living Donor

A kidney from a living donor is a better option than from a diseased donor. Kidneys from living donors also tend to work sooner and last longer than from deceased donors.

This would allow me to get back to doing the things I love, serve my communities, and spend time with my young nephew.

In preparation for transplant I eat well, sleep well, exercise, and do what I can to stay mentally and creatively active.

I will take the greatest care of the precious gift of a kidney. I’ve never smoked, drank, or taken drugs.

How You Can Help

At this time, I’m not yet on the active list for a transplant. I’ll update this page when I’m active. When I do so, you can send them to this website. For now, you can share my story on social media and in other venues.

For Prospective Kidney Donors

I’m working with UCHEALTH in Aurora, Colorado. Prospective donors will need to be there in person for evaluation, surgery, and initial recovery.

Prospective donors should be ages 18-45 and in excellent health. They often benefit from this process because it can point to underlying health conditions they might not have known about.

There will be very detailed vetting. For now, prospective donors should know they are automatically ruled out if they have:

active tuberculosis
blood borne illnesses
cancer
diabetes
elevated protein in urine indicative of kidney disease
heart problems
hepatitis
HIV
hypertension
kidney disease
lung problems such as asthma and COPD untreated or serious mental illness such as schizophrenia
obesity (BMI Above 35)
pregnancy
smoking
substance use

Thank you so much for reading and sharing my story.

Special thanks to The Great Social Experiment.net for my original microsite and my video above.