My name is Molly Von Lindern and I’m 29 years old. On February 23rd, 2023, I donated my left kidney to my mom. It was a laparoscopic robotic surgery done by the amazing transplant team at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. This decision for me was a no-brainer. My mom adopted me from San Antonio, Texas when I was only a few days old and raised me in New Jersey. She saved my life and now it was my turn to return the favor.
I wasn’t always an active person growing up. I steered away from sports because I never thought I’d be good at any of them. About 7 years ago, I found CrossFit and powerlifting, and those sports became my identity. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about how I’d perform in these sports after donating. I was consistently working out 4-5x a week and the thought of having to take weeks off of training was scary. Just a few months before our donation date, I placed 1st place in my first powerlifting meet. When I got the approval that I could donate, I thought my heavy lifting days were over and that I had to cut out supplements and protein sources that helped me with my extensive training but then I learned, I was completely wrong.
My recovery post surgery was uncomfortable. The abdominal pain I was experiencing was severe at some points which lead me back to the emergency room for further diagnostics. I started to get in my head and became a bit depressed. I kept telling myself things will never be the same. I then found the KDA organization and the stories of other KDA-ers motivated me to get back out there.
It took me about 4 weeks to step foot in a gym post surgery. I walked a lot, I did a lot of bodyweight movements and I didn’t lift anything above 10 pounds. At 6 weeks post op, I jump back into my first CrossFit class and my workouts were modified to accommodate what I could and couldn’t do. I also started running again. At 8 weeks I went back to work as a veterinarian assistant and started lifting heavier again under the supervision of my coach. I also spoke to a nutritionist who helped me understand what supplements and foods were still safe for my body to consume. At 4 months post-op I made the decision to take my training to the next level and compete in my second power lifting meet. It took some time for my body to accept this new normal but I realized during this training period, I was just as strong as before. I signed up for a 5K in June 2023 and I beat my old personal record by 1:18. Then competed in my powerlifting meet on November 11, 2023 and I placed 2nd second place in my weight class. This was one of the best moments in my life because I did it. I accomplished what I didn’t think was possible.
This path was not linear. I did face some physical and emotional hurdles but with my amazing support system I was able to bypass all that. At this time, I still participate in CrossFit classes and weight lift. I am eager to see what I can accomplish in these sports in the years to come. I don’t feel any different at all and there days were I forgot that I am living with 1 kidney.
