April is Organ Donation Awareness Month, and one local resident is currently looking for a living donor.

Knox County’s Katrina Memering was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a disease which wreaks havoc on the lungs. 14 years ago she received an emergency, life-saving double lung transplant. Since then she has been driven to live life to the fullest, including adopting two children with her husband and becoming an avid runner.

But now, her medical teams says she desperately needs a new kidney, and her best chance at survival is to find a living donor because she doesn’t have three to five years to wait on the transplant list.

Katrina doesn’t particularly like having herself in this spotlight, but she knows this awareness may be her only hope at finding a living donor. Katrina doesn’t want folks to pity her– instead she wants everyone to know she is taking this in stride and relying on her faith.  “ Sadness does nothing for me. I want prayer and I want action, and I want to know what I’m dealing with so I can fight it head on.” she said.  “Will we get through this? Will I get another chance?  I feel in my soul that I will, but I can’t say it until He brings it.”

If you are interested in seeing if you could be the match Katrina is looking for, you can call the Barnes Jewish Transplant office in St. Louis at 314-362-5365. You need to tell them you are interested in becoming a living donor for Katrina Memering, date of birth 12/12/83.

To learn more about Katrina and other local organ donors and recipients– watch a special episode of First City Focus this weekend on Vincennes PBS — and on our Vincennes PBS YouTube channel.