“Deciding to donate was easy for me because I wanted to help a friend. I became an organ donor in my early 20s, and I had wanted to do it for many years. When my friend needed help, I felt it was the right time.”
“At first, I didn’t say anything about it, but it kept weighing heavy on me. Then I thought, ‘You don’t have to wait until you die to help someone. You could do it now.’ I believe in God, and He gave me peace of mind to donate.”
“The process was emotional because, once I had made up my mind to do it, I had to answer everyone’s questions. My husband asked why I’d want to do this for someone I didn’t know when it was unnecessary. I couldn’t explain it.”
“I didn’t ask for permission; I asked for support.”
“As a dialysis nurse for 13 years, I’ve seen the other side of kidney problems — the shock, the denial, the depression we see in patients. They’re hooked to a machine and trust us to take care of them for four hours a day, then they go home. And maybe they have a couple of good hours.”
“Dialysis is a lifelong process; it’s a way of life. It’s hard to see patients go through that.”
“I kept my decision low-key until a donor was found. Then I started a blog on Facebook to update my family and friends on the process. We had several rounds of testing before I was accepted, and once I was accepted, I was anxious to find a match. I got impatient.”
“I was most afraid of the unknown of the recovery process, but I was back at work full time in three weeks.”
“I met my recipient at the hospital while we were getting lab work done. We didn’t know it; but when went to admissions at the same time, we started figuring it out. We’ve actually become very good friends. She and her husband came and stayed with us some during her recovery process.”
“It was a great experience. The doctors and nurses and transplant team were amazing. They made every aspect comfortable and positive.”
“Being part of the world’s longest transplant chain is amazing. When we all met up at the picnic, it was so amazing to see the chain as a visual. It really put it in perspective to see where we fell on the chain. I felt humbled and blessed.”
“If I could regenerate kidneys, I would donate over and over and over. Someday, though, someone will get my other one.”
“This is the best decision you will ever make. Although my friend and I weren’t a match, he received a kidney, and I gave one on the same day. He has his life back, and I helped another family. I’m at peace, and I fulfilled what I was always meant to do. I feel like I found my purpose.”