Former College Softball Player Turns to Community, Needs Kidney Donation

Credit: LMU Athletics

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball

The softball community is banding together on social media to save a former college player’s life. Allisha Martinez, a 26-year-old infielder who played for Loyola Marymount University and Regis University, is urgently seeking a living kidney donor. 

Martinez has been fighting immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease, an autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the kidneys. The protein IgA accumulates in the kidneys, leading to inflammation and potential kidney damage.

As the only child of Robin and Robert Martinez, they have turned to the softball community, where she has given so much of her love and appreciation, in hopes that someone out there can help her win this fight. 

While Martinez is at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, the transplant team there is vigorously searching for a living donor match through a confidential, no-commitment health screening. Anyone who may be a match can fill out the form, and the hospital will review your information and contact you within 72 hours.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, transplant centers ensure that the donor is healthy enough to donate, undergo the surgery, and facilitate their recovery. On average, a kidney from a living donor lasts about 15 to 20 years. 

The selfless act of organ donation will not just save Martinez’s life, but will also improve her overall quality of life and will increase her life expectancy. Minimal downtime and no long-term impact are expected on the donor’s life. 

Donor Criteria

• Must be between the ages of 18 and 40

• Blood type O (positive or negative) 

Medical Information to Complete the Health Screening Form

• Patient Name: Allisha Martinez

• Date of Birth: 06/26/1999

• Diagnosis: IGA Nephropathy

• Hospital: Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Transplant Program

• Address: 1719 E 19 Avenue, Denver, CO 80218

• Procedure Type: Living donor referral

If you are not a potential donor but still want to help, you can show your support by continuing to spread the word on social media.