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Your LOCAL Media since 1918! VOLUME 108: ISSUE 21
HRA vs CCA basketball photos ~ inside
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Tofield teen looking for kidney donor Vanessa Poitras Staff Reporter
Tofield local Mataya Tyler has been battling severe kidney disease since April of last year. At only 19 years old, she has been back and forth from hospitals for multiple months struggling with energy and feeling well enough to do anything. "After a blood infection and emergency hospitalization, she was diagnosed with heart valve complications and Stage 4 kidney failure. This month her kidney function has dropped dangerously low, and she was admitted to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton," Joshua Tyler, Mataya's father, wrote on a GoFundMe page set up for Mataya in December. "We're asking for help to cover transportation costs, short-term lodging, and unforeseen expenses while Mataya receives care, and prepares for whatever changes that arise. Mataya spent 24 nights in hospital last year including Canada Day and Christmas. She is due to start dialysis in the near future, so our hospital visits will be increasing," Tyler said. Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) is the best measure of kidney function, indicating how well the kidneys filter waste from the blood. "At her age, (her GFR) should
be near or above 100, but her lowest was 17, high of 22. At the rate of 15 they start discussing dialysis and transplant," Tyler explained in a social media post on Dec. 23, 2025. Her GFR is at eight per cent as of now. She goes for weekly labs to test her kidney function. Mataya has been an asset to the Tofield community, as she was a main employee of her father's business. She enjoys playing magic at the Tofield Arena every second Friday. As of late, she has been laying low at home because of her low energy level and soreness in her body. Mataya is thankful for her emotional support cats at home who help her get through her days; Missy, Maggie, and Baby. She also enjoys drawing and creating Anime. Mataya aspires to be an entrepreneur like her father as she loves buying and selling items such as Manga and Pop! figures. "Mataya is strong, and we have faith in her recovery," Tyler said about his daughter. "If you need information on anything, or if you might be willing to be a living kidney donor, please reach out to me directly, and I can try to pass on information on how you may be able to assist, if at all," Tyler added in his post before Christmas.
Mataya Tyler, 19, of Tofield has been battling severe kidney disease since April 2025. PHOTO SUPPLIED