Local College Student in Need of Kidney Donation
Writer & Photographer / Ashley Callan
Last March, Mason Ulrich was just a typical 20-year-old college student at Purdue University Indianapolis majoring in mechanical engineering. He enjoyed hanging out with his close group of friends from high school, working his longtime job at Kroger on Logan Street, and spending his free time playing video games, bass guitar, and even teaching himself how to speak and write in Mandarin.
But everything changed when Ulrich received life-altering news: he had been diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure after experiencing no warning signs or symptoms. Now, he is in the fight of his life, desperately needing a kidney donation to survive.
In March 2025, Mason began experiencing headaches, which he initially attributed to a dental issue. After a root canal failed to resolve the problem — and noticing a change in his vision — he visited MyEyeDr in Noblesville. There, Dr. Connor Young discovered bilateral retinal bleeding behind both eyes. When Young took Ulrich’s blood pressure, it was so high he sent him directly to the ER at Riverview Health.
It was there that an ER doctor delivered the earth-shattering news: Mason had end-stage kidney failure and a prognosis of just 12 months to live. Mason spent a week in the ICU to manage his dangerously high blood pressure and another week in the hospital beginning dialysis treatment.
End-stage kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease, is the most advanced form of kidney disease, when the kidneys can no longer function effectively. Dialysis becomes essential to remove waste and excess fluids from the body.
Since his diagnosis, Mason has endured daily dialysis at home — a grueling eight- to 10-hour process he undergoes every night. Due to the disease’s advancement, he must also receive blood and iron transfusions, weekly labs, multiple medications and injections, and ongoing monitoring of his organs. He has lost more than 70 pounds, is losing his hair, and some days has little energy.
Yet Mason remains remarkably resilient — he has stayed committed to finishing his degree, missing only one day of school throughout the ordeal. Even his two-week hospital stay happened to fall over his school’s spring break.
Mason’s family refuses to give up hope.
“It’s important that Mason knows he’s not doing this alone, that we’re with him every step of the way — even eating the same food as him,” his mom, Shannon Ulrich, says.
Because Mason is also autistic, Shannon quit her job to accompany him to appointments and help advocate for his care.
“Mason doesn’t fully comprehend the severity of his disease, so I need to be his voice,” she says.
Working tirelessly to share her son’s story, Shannon is leaving no stone unturned in the search for a donor. She has taken to social media and every available platform to raise awareness about kidney donation and find a compatible match for Mason.
Because cadaver kidneys typically involve a three-year wait list, Mason doesn’t have that kind of time — he needs a living donor to survive. Since his immediate family members aren’t a match, Shannon is exploring other options through the National Kidney Registry’s voucher system.
“It’s like a chain reaction,” she says. “Even though I’m not a match for Mason, I could be a match for someone else — and that person might have someone who’s a match for Mason. Or, in return for my donation, a voucher gives Mason priority when a kidney becomes available.”
The Ulrichs are offering donor incentives to help ease the burden for Mason’s potential donor. These include $2,000 per week for lost wages, travel expenses (including food and lodging for the donor and a caregiver), a three-year post-procedure insurance policy, and in-home testing and lab work.
All of these incentives are established through the National Kidney Registry.
While the family is not currently using crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe, they say the best way to support Mason is by sharing his National Kidney Registry profile and spreading the word.
Mason is registered through the National Kidney Registry. His profile can be found at https://nkr.org/KND599, where potential donors can sign up to see if they are a match.
Updates on Mason’s journey are shared by his mother, Shannon Ulrich, on Facebook at facebook.com/shannon.ulrich.3 and on Instagram at @masonskidneyjourney.
