Rebekah Lee, a Boynton Beach resident, who first started to experience kidney problems in 2004 and about a year and half ago, was told she would have to get a transplant.

“In 2004, I got back from a trip and had hypertension and high blood pressure, and decided to go to the doctor,” Lee said. “Five years later, I had the transplant on April 30.”

Lee said one of the things she wishes she would have done before the surgery was attend support groups to learn more about the process.

“I guess, I really didn’t accept it,” she said.

Lee, a member of the Kidney Association of South Florida located in Lake Worth, was lucky to have her brother Raymond step up and offer his kidney. He was a perfect match.

Lee said the surgery she had at Tampa General went smoothly and the only complication was a simple blood transfusion, which is normal.

Now after the surgery that Lee said changed her life, she has a new goal of raising awareness among all kidney patients about the importance of educating themselves about the transplantation process.

Her goal will be further advanced when the Kidney Association of South Florida has an informational event on the basics of kidney transplants Oct. 18 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd.

The event is titled “Nuts and Bolts of Kidney Transplantation,” which is self explanatory, and the event will have presentations from doctors at the Florida Hospital Transplant Center in Orlando. The presentations will give guests an expert view into transplants.

The event will cover the financial issues associated with kidney transplants, how to get on a transplant list for a kidney and an explanation of the actual surgery.

Like Lee, the Association’s main objective is to educate the community about the transplantation process.

Jess Arceneaux, spokesman for the association, said the group started in May 2008, after a national group decided it could not support local groups anymore.

“We decided what the heck and formed our own group to sponsor local events,” he said. “We just want to get the word out about various types of treatments and how kidney failure affects patients.”

For information about the event, call 561-575-1593.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.