My name is Angie. I am 45, married, living in Ohio, and a mother of two (ages 22 and 24). I became a kidney donor in December 2023 at the age of 44 through a paired exchange. In mid-2023, my sister told our family that her husband, Steve, needed a kidney transplant. She released a survey on social media, hoping to find a match. At the time we were naive about the living donor process, but I immediately took the survey and began researching. I’ve always known I wanted to make a difference somehow and the more I learned, the more I realized this was exactly how I was meant to make that difference. Over the next few months, I researched, read other donor experiences, and talked non-stop about it with my husband. He was very patient and supportive throughout the entire process. I completed extensive testing and evaluations with the donor transplant team both in Ohio and in California (where my sister and brother-in-law live). After each testing phase, it felt like a new hurry-up-and-wait situation (as a military spouse of 25 years, I was quite familiar with this feeling).

In the end, I wasn’t compatible with my brother-in-law. It was very disappointing, but there were options, so I was still invested in the process. We joined the paired exchange program through the National Kidney Registry (NKR). After a month and more lab work, we went live in the NKR, and within a day, they found our matches! It happened fast, our surgery day was set, and I was off to California so I could officially share-my-spare. I was fortunate that my employer was so understanding and supportive of the process.

My surgery was early in the morning and Steve received his kidney 12 hours later. We got to recover just a couple of doors away from each other, which was pretty cool. Although the process is anonymous, I know that my kidney went to someone in Oregon, and his flew in from New York. We don’t fully know the stories of everyone involved, but we know that this exchange changed many lives that day. In the words from my sister “It felt like a hospital TV drama with lots of traveling kidneys, both exciting and stressful”. Recovery for me included a 2-night stay in the hospital and Steve was released a few days later, on Christmas Eve. Then we recovered together at their house until I was released to fly home ten days after surgery.

Although I felt like my husband and parents told everyone, initially I told very few people. Fast forward to now, I’m happy to share my story to raise awareness about the process and available options. What an amazing journey! The body’s ability to heal itself is fascinating and humbling. During the first six weeks of recovery, I was restricted to walking only and not lifting anything heavier than a milk jug. I used meditation to quiet my mind, which helped during the more challenging moments. After six weeks, I returned to basic workouts first, focusing on proper form and slowly increasing what my body could handle. Additionally, I did (& often still do) nightly somatic exercises which have helped relieve muscle tension and improve mobility.

About a month before surgery, I found the Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) Facebook page. I was interested in recovery from an athlete’s perspective even though I’ve never considered myself an athlete. I’m not competitive in any sport, but I’m active and love trying new things so connecting with the donor community and hearing about their recovery was/has been inspiring. Over the years I have enjoyed activities like kickboxing, Zumba, acro-yoga, slacklining, kayaking, powerlifting, kettlebell workouts, and while running was never a favorite, I enjoyed mud runs. Fast forward to now… I’m not quite a year post-op yet but I feel just as energetic and capable as I did before surgery. I do daily workouts in my home gym, spend time at the local track doing walk/jog intervals or walking the dog, and enjoy hiking. I’ve headed back to the gym to boxing class and have even joined a few bungee fitness classes. You can also find me out on my Indian Scout getting in some wind therapy.

I didn’t expect to feel a desire to do more after surgery, but seeing my brother-in-law’s recovery and their household’s relief combined with hearing about KDA’s mission shifted my focus. I recently joined the KDA Event Committee. I am looking forward to being a part of something bigger and having the opportunity of engaging others in the community for local and global advocacy events.