ADDIS — Sandy Gantt is no stranger to fighting battles. “I’ve had kidney disease at a very young age, and they’ve always monitored me,” she explained. But earlier this year, the 51-year-old found out her health was declining.
When she went to the doctor in April, she learned her kidney Glomerular Filtration Rate, commonly referred to as GFR, was a 19. According to the National Kidney Foundation, a normal GFR is typically 90 or higher, though it naturally declines with age. “The lower the number, the worse off you are,” she said. “So he told me that I needed to try to get on a kidney transplant list because I needed a transplant.”
Gantt’s doctor referred her to doctors at Tulane, and she’s been going through testing ever since. “I’m still not finished. I still have like three more tests to take,” she said…