MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla., Dec. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- My Vacation Haven, a coastal vacation management company in Florida, is offering a one-week beachfront stay to the winner of a social media contest designed to spread awareness for a beloved employee waiting for a kidney donation.
At any given time, there are almost 100,000 people on the waitlist for a kidney transplant, and the average wait time is five years. Polycystic Kidney Disease is a degenerative disease that typically results in kidney failure by the age of 60. There is no cure for the disease. When her father passed away from the disease in 2006, Maria and her siblings were tested for the hereditary condition, and both she and her sister tested positive. She traveled to UAB Birmingham where her name was placed on the list for a kidney transplant. She was enlisted into a donor pool where a living donor (if not a match for Maria) could donate a kidney to someone else in the donation pool and Maria would be given the next available matching kidney. Maria is young, with two children and, like others on the waitlist, has done everything she can and has now come to a point of waiting. Maria's kidneys are currently functioning at 15%.
Maria has worked for four years at My Vacation Haven, a vacation rental management company in Miramar Beach, Florida, and over the years (like many employees there), she has become part of the family. When the management team learned of Maria's diagnosis, they rallied around her in support and offered an enticing incentive. To raise awareness of Maria's need and the need for kidney donation for all waiting patients, the team created #AKidneyforMaria and are asking their team, community, and social audience to share an image holding a sign with the hashtag. On January 31st, they will choose one winner from all of those that share their own #AKidneyforMaria photo on their social media, and that winner will receive a one-week coastal stay at one of My Vacation Haven's properties. Every "share" is an additional chance to win. Of course, the ultimate goal is to find a kidney donor for Maria, but this campaign's hope is to spread awareness and encourage others to share in support. And hopefully, amidst the social media buzz, a matching donor will step forward and raise their hand.
To enter to win the coastal vacation, social media users should post picture holding their own #AKidneyforMaria signs and then try to encourage as many shares as possible. Every share is another entry to win. Entrants can find out more by visiting My Vacation Haven's Facebook or Instagram.
To learn more about donating a kidney to Maria Burke, please visit://uabmedicine.org/donateakidney and search with "Maria Burke," birthday 3/8/76.
To find out more about donating to the living donor pool, please visit: //uabmedicine.org/donateakidney and to learn more about Polycystic Kidney Disease, visit: https://pkdcure.org
About My Vacation Haven
My Vacation Haven, located in Miramar Beach, Florida, is a locally owned, independent full-service vacation rental management company featuring world-class vacation rentals in Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach and Destin, Florida. My Vacation Haven's team is more than 100 strong, and they are known for taking great care of their homeowners, their guests, their properties, and, at the heart of it, their own team members. www.myvacationhaven.com
Media Contact:
Laura Holloway
laurah@storytelleragency.com
323.574.0566
Related Images
Image 1: #AKidneyforMaria
Spread awareness about polycystic kidney disease.
Image 2
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