Mother of 7 with failing kidney prays for donor before it's too late

Sonia Castaneda is a mom who adopted 4 children which means she opened her heart and her home to perfect strangers - and now she's hoping someone out there will do the same for her - before it's too late.

"I have a lot of life in me," she said. "I have seven kids, two grandbabies. I want to be here so I don't miss out on anything for them."

Castaneda has had type 1 diabetes since she was just 7 years old. The deleterious effect on her body has been slow, pernicious, and abysmal.

"A lot of complications, diabetes has paralyzed my stomach 100 percent," she said. "I have kidney disease at the last stage. My kidney function is at 12 percent."

Castaneda has been waiting for a kidney transplant for two years. She was so close and even had a donor lined up, but two days ago a test came back showing that the specific living donor was no longer a candidate.

"Just seeing the hope from my mom's face be drained away was heartbreaking for me," said her daughter Tianna Gorecki. "It is just our goal to find her a kidney, so she can be here for us. She has a lot to live for." 

Castaneda's family and friends describe her as selfless, loving and always putting everyone else first. It is what drove her to adopt.

"I know that there as a lot of kids here in Michigan that needed homes," she said. "So I wanted to make a difference.  I've made a complete turnaround for them in their lives. That's what I hope for a lot of people to do. There are so many kids that need good homes."

If you have decided you want to be a living donor or know someone who has - and would like to see if you're a match for Sonia, call 1-800-333-9013 and give her name, Sonia Castaneda.

Her daughter says Sonia is all about giving and now all she wants is to give back to her.