What’s funny about sharing my story here is that athleticism is why I chose to donate in the first place. Let me take a step back. I was randomly scrolling on Facebook about a year ago and came across a post about a boy who was my son’s age, third grade, and was super active … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Nichole!
My name is Sara Cain and I donated my kidney to my brother in 2017. I have always been very active and enrolled in some type of sport or working out on my own. Staying healthy and active is an integral part of my life. Before donation, I had run five half marathons, played collegiate-level … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Sara!
Even though I never imagined being an organ donor until passing away, I am one now. People can survive with just one healthy kidney, so someone with two healthy kidneys may choose to donate one. This is called a living donor transplant. I am a living donor. Being an athlete since the age of 4, I … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Debbie!
**Heads up - there are some pictures of real kidneys in here. If you're super squeamish please skip this altogether, or be prepared to scroll real fast past those.** Dear Soon-to-be kidney donor, First off, congratulations on pursuing one of the kindest acts a person can ever do - donating a kidney! Secondly, I am … Continue reading Dear Soon-to-be Kidney Donor
Being a healthy, active woman in my 50s, I knew after seeing my friend’s story about needing a kidney for her daughter several times that I needed to throw my name into the hat and at least see if I was a match. It was a long journey but I indeed was a directly compatible blood match … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Natalie!
My name is Laura Saros. I live with my husband and three girls about 45 miles outside of Chicago and recently celebrated 7 years post-donation. I’m a homeschooling mama, special education teacher, yogi, and avid reader. The question I get asked most often when people learn that I am a living kidney donor is “Why … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Laura!
I believe there is a reason and timing for all things and, for me, being able to make a non-directed kidney donation is just one of those amazing moments. July 23, 2020 - A day that was planned for me since before I was born, I just wasn’t aware of it until many years later. My story is rather fast-paced in regard to the organ donation process. … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Jason!
Right Kidney For The Trail On a special day, 8 February 2020, I ran my first serious run since donating my left kidney on 16 October 2019 – just 16.5 weeks later. At 73 years old, a half marathon trail run (my first trail run) on one kidney is a significant achievement. I ran the Rotorua Ultra Half, one of the more picturesque trail runs in our country, renown for … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Tom!
Read Part One of Mark's Story here! I returned home from my surgery after one night in the hospital. With my surgery scheduled at 6:30 in the morning, I had a complete day to start my recovery. By 5pm on the day of surgery, the staff had me up and walking with the help of … Continue reading Update from Kidney Donor Athlete, Mark!
Come Back Ken: My road to donation may have started a little different than most but we will get there. My journey started back in May 2018 while running the Buffalo marathon. Up until this point, I was always a weekend warrior and considered myself to be a somewhat decent athlete playing lacrosse and hockey … Continue reading Meet Kidney Donor Athlete, Ken!
