My name is Nicole Harris, and I am a kidney donor. On May 15th, 2012, I was fortunate enough to be able to donate a kidney to my mom. My mom’s battle with ESRD was hard fought, full of adversity, and with many bumps in the road. You see, she was against having one of her children donate to her out of her fear for us and wanting to protect us. As a mother myself, I could understand that fear, but I also did not know how I could survive in the world without one of my parents to guide me, support me, and help me raise my young son.
Even though we knew from the beginning I was a match, she held steady to her refusal, sometimes to the point of a fight. The last thing I wanted to do, though, was to fight with her and have words with her when she was so ill… so usually I dropped the conversation about me donating after a few minutes. If only I knew then what I know now. After watching her health decline, I contacted the living donor coordinator and secretly went through the process of testing on my own, and was approved to donate. When I broke the news to my parents that we had a surgery date and I was the donor, it was a very emotional day, but one I will never forget.
The love and support shown to us during my mom’s illness, our surgeries, and the post-transplant period were remarkable. Being a donor has subsequently shaped my life and my choices. I now work as a transplant coordinator myself. Many times, I have heard from my patients the same concern my mom had about having an adult child as a donor. I do my best to flip that perspective for them. I also make sure to pass along the knowledge I wish I had known all those years ago regarding ESRD- specifically relating to the benefits of having a living donor. My mother passed away peacefully on December 25, 2014, just 2 years and 7 months post-transplant. While this felt and still feels premature, cruel, and heartbreaking, I know her life was forever changed because of the transplant, and most importantly, her spirit was renewed.
I was off work for about 6 weeks post-transplant due to the physicality of my job at that time. I had a fairly smooth recovery and am blessed to still have good health. Since donating, I have ran 4 half marathons, many 5Ks, a 10K, and am currently training for my first marathon on 5/4/25. I also play indoor soccer recreationally. Additionally, I have volunteered with the National Kidney Foundation to help raise awareness for kidney disease/living donation, work as a transplant coordinator, and have testified at the Ohio Statehouse in support of a bill to stop insurance discrimination against living donors.
