REACHING OUT
BY STEVE DUBIN – PRWORKS PLYMOUTH, MA
BENDAN – CARLA – TARA
Carla Conant, a long time East Bridgewater resident, would rather solve her own problems. Yet now she has no other option other than to reach out to the community. A single mother of two teenagers, Carla has entered into the stage of kidney disease known as end stage renal disease. A kidney transplant is her only option and would be the answer to her family’s prayers.
Carla’s health insurance will pay entirely for the donor’s surgery and recovery. Please call the transplant coordinator Kristin with any questions regarding insurance or any concerns.
Carla suffered from a rare disease called light chain deposition disease (LCDD). LCDD is an exceedingly rare disease which causes damage primarily to the kidneys. Her first wakeup call was when she was med flighted by helicopter to Brigham and Women’s Hospital one morning seven years ago amidst having a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage. Whilst recovered fully from this incident the past years since then have been the continual stream of doctor visits and declining kidney function.
In just the last couple months Carla entered into stage 5 kidney disease also known as end stage renal disease. She had to undergo an implant into her abdomen to allow for dialysis, which is now a daily procedure.
Doctors have said that with the gift of a new kidney it will allow her to live a fulfilling life for many more years.
Carla is a devoted mother of two children, including Brendan who is a sophomore in college attending the University of Maine and Tara who just started 8th grade.
Carla spent almost the entirety of the last decade of her life caring for her ailing mother, Ann Conant, while trying to balance her own health and tend to her kids. She was the primary caregiver of her mother who had suffered from Lyme Encephalitis for the last 10 years prior to succumbing to complications from that disease. Her father Joe was amazing caregiver for her mother Ann till his passing. He was always instilling the importance of family.
Ann needed 24-hour care and Carla and her brothers were able to care for her until she passed at home in November of 2019 at the age of 80.
Carla’s siblings are wonderful brothers have both been tested to donate a kidney to Carla and or someone else for an exchange, but unfortunately both were unable too. Joe, 62 has a medical condition and Dennis 59 has stents in his chest. Carla also has had several close family and friends offer, but, as of yet no one has been a match.
As such her Doctors urged her to broaden her search and that her best option to live a fuller, normal life again would be to find a kidney from a living donor.
Thus, Carla reaches out to the public.
To learn more about donating a kidney to save Carla’s life please contact Brigham and Women’s Kidney Living Transplant, Kristin is the Transplant coordinator 617-732-8683.
Please reference your request by naming Carla Conant 12/09/1967.
Online living donor applications can be found at