Donor Search Success Stories

An estimated 17 people die each day in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant from a deceased donor, according to federal data. The vast majority are in need of a kidney. But simply waiting to get pulled off the years-long waitlist is not their only option.

A Middleburg woman is being called a hero. Fawna Moore donated a kidney to Vicki Beecher after learning about a program that matches donors with veterans in need.

Edgar “Butch” Sanchez shared that he was sick and needed a kidney. Ivan Sales offered to give him one of his. The pair, now 54, underwent surgery last year.

Todd Cline’s kidneys were failing. The 60-year-old was undergoing home dialysis until his wife, Dawn, stepped up to donate one of her kidneys to her husband.

Vy Tran has always had a sense of adventure. He’s had the opportunity to travel around the world. However, that all came to a screeching halt five years ago when he was diagnosed with end-stage Renal Disease.

There’s a bit of a role reversal going on in St. Paul. The man known for gifting needs a specific gift for himself to survive.

Jennifer VanderPoel thought she’d exhausted her pool of potential kidney donors. Sitting on her living room couch in Grand Rapids, the bubbly mom, wife and former assistant professor had no idea she was about to learn otherwise.

John Bourjaily feels blessed to be alive this Christmas after receiving a kidney from his daughter.

Through a friendship forged by a shared love of Harry Potter, Megan Carpenter donated her kidney to her best friend, Misty Brooks, giving her a new lease on life just before the holidays.

When Ron Gurley’s wife put out a call for kidney donors to his local triathlon club, training buddy Sheila Gibson stepped up.