When Lucille Atlookan found out her kidneys were failing, she never expected to find a transplant match so quickly, let alone from her partner.
The 2-Spirit Anishinaabe artist was diagnosed with lupus in 2013. The incurable autoimmune disease causes inflammation in the tissues and organs, resulting in chronic pain. In Atlookan’s case, the 34-year-old’s symptoms include rheumatoid arthritis and kidney dysfunction.
Her kidney transplant, scheduled for Jan. 18, will bring her from Thunder Bay, Ont., to Toronto. It will change her life, and that of her partner, Andrew Woods.
Atlookan is from Eabametoong First Nation, a remote Ojibway community also known as Fort Hope.
