New Jersey mother battling kidney failure desperately searching for donor

BURLINGTON, N.J. - A Burlington County mother battling kidney failure is desperately hoping to find an organ donor, so she can continue to watch her 3-year-old daughter grow. 

Keyona Ball, 27, was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney disease in June 2021. Despite treatment, she fell extremely ill this summer and needed to be hospitalized.

While in the hospital, doctors told Keyona she was in kidney failure and needed to start dialysis immediately.

"That's when I was told I needed to start dialysis right away because without it, I had 14 days to live," Keyona said. "I can't even describe what was going through my mind, a lot, really just my daughter."

Keyona became a social worker after graduating from Rutgers and went on to receive her Master's Degree from Fordham University. Now, the mother to 3-year-old Shylah is in the fight for her life, undergoing dialysis three times a week. 

"I'm still scared, but some days are better than others," Keyona said. "Some days I wake up, and I'm like ‘alright, this is doable, and it'll get better' and other days ‘I can’t be one of those people who are on dialysis for 20-years'."

Keyona's brother tried to donate, but was not a match. Her best friend is now going through the donor process after making it through the initial evaluation. 

Keyona is hoping to find a living donor with a Type-O blood type. She asked anyone willing to consider being her donor to call her Virtua Donor Coordinator. The correct number to call is 856-796-9376. Those interested should leave their name and number and say they wish to help Keyona.

"I would be so grateful, it's really not just about my life, it's about my daughter's," Keyona said.