Culver's in Carol Stream raises thousands for employee with kidney disease

CAROL STREAM – Nerves ran through Brenda Martinez’s body July 17 as she prepared to undergo a kidney transplant surgery that would ultimately save her younger sister’s life.

Her sister, Daisy Martinez, 22, suffers from end-stage renal disease, which is a permanent kidney failure most often caused by diabetes or high blood pressure, according to the American Kidney Fund. Individuals with this disease will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to live.

To help the Martinez family pay for medical expenses, the Culver’s in Carol Stream where both sisters have worked for several years hosted a fundraiser in late August that generated more than $5,000.

“They were both overwhelmed by all the attention that’s come to them,” Culver’s owner Amy Adams said. “This shows what a wonderful community we live in, how supportive it is and how people are willing to help each other. We can provide the venue, but it’s up to the community to make it happen, and they sure did.”

For the fundraiser, the restaurant donated 50 percent of sales Aug. 26 to the Martinez family.

Brenda, 24, said her mom originally agreed to be Daisy’s donor, but after both she and Brenda were tested, it turned out Brenda’s kidney was more compatible with Daisy’s body.

“When I got the testing done, they told me I can back out at any time, but I knew I wasn’t going to change my mind,” Brenda said.

In July 2012, doctors told Daisy both of her kidneys had failed, and she has been in and out of the hospital on dialysis for the past two years.

“That was a selfless thing to do to give me one of her kidneys since many people aren’t willing to be a donor. It makes me feel happy,” Daisy said. “I’m not on dialysis anymore. I have more energy, can eat more and am overall better.”

Rarely separated, the Carol Stream sisters are very close.

After the procedure, the girls’ parents were speechless, relieved and very thankful to God it had been successful, Daisy said.

At the Culver’s fundraiser, company owner Craig Culver himself attended to pledge his support to the family, Adams said.

“I thought it was pretty awesome he was able to come and help us out,” Daisy said. “He was very nice and wished me luck. I thought that was pretty cool.”

Adams said both sisters are modest and hardworking employees, and they have been off work since the transplant. It will be more time before Daisy can return because she’s at a higher risk of infection than Brenda.

Daisy is taking this semester off from school and going to the doctor every two weeks to make sure the new kidney is working. She would have started her junior year at the University of Illinois at Chicago this fall.

“Now I feel perfectly fine, but the doctor said I had to take it easy,” she said. “I can’t lift heavy things, work out and have to avoid sick people because my immune system is very low.”

Out of 120,000 Americans currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant, more than 99,000 need a kidney, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Fewer than 17,000 people receive one each year.

Daisy thanks God for what she has and said she is better off now than she was for the past two years. Brenda added she is thankful to Amy and everyone who supported them.

“People should really think about being a donor because it does save lives,” Brenda said.