June 1 is a day Eric Warnke has waited for a long time. The 23-year-old is having a kidney transplant at UW Health in Madison. It’s a surgery he’s needed since November 2021.
Read MoreDonor Search Success Stories
Looking for inspiration or motivation in your donor search? Read these success stories. They did it, and you can too!
Ultimate frisbee friendship leads man to kidney transplant
Every Thursday, Sam Moses heads to the park for ultimate frisbee practice. That ended in 2021 when he had to go on dialysis, but one of his teammates, Emily Brixey, volunteered to be his kidney donor. The surgery was November 17, and just three months later, both Moses and Brixey were back playing ultimate frisbee.
Read MoreKidney transplant from fellow Hokie saves VT professor’s life
Yang Zhang, Associate Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech, suffered from chronic kidney disease since he was a teenager and needed a kidney transplant. He posted on Facebook in search of a donor and received 33 responses, including one from Annie Chalmers-Williams.
Read More‘You just need a partner’: Times Square billboard unlocks network of kidney donors for NY man
Marc Weiner has two rules: take things one day at a time and don’t play the “what if” game. Since he was in his 20s, he has tried not to fall into the trap of wondering “what if this goes wrong.”
Read MoreMaine man receives life-saving kidney transplant after 23-year wait
Todd Dostie was 21 when he first learned his kidney was failing and he would need a transplant. Eight years after his first transplant, he needed another one, but this time he faced a 100% rejection rate. Just before Christmas 2022, about 30 years after his first transplant, his doctors found a match.
Read More‘She’s my angel’: Campbell River woman finds kidney donor after 10-year search
Cindy McLean entered renal failure and started looking for a kidney donor 10 years ago. Heather Larkam heard about Cindy’s search, but couldn’t donate at the time. Ten years later, Heather found out Cindy still hadn’t gotten a transplant and reached out to help. The two are a perfect match.
Read MoreUS army veteran donates kidney to man he met while driving for Uber, wins hearts
Tim Letts, a US Army veteran who was an Uber driver in New Jersey, went out of his way to help a 73-year-old man, Bill Sumiel, who needed kidney transplantation. Tim met Bill when Bill called for an Uber to get home from his regular treatment at the dialysis centre.
Read MoreEssex Tech Instructor Receives Life-Saving Kidney Transplant, With Superintendent as Donor
After more than 20 years of battling kidney disease, Essex Tech masonry teacher David Collins learned that his life depended on finding a donor. Nearly 100 people signed up to be screened, but the ideal kidney match came from an unexpected source: his boss.
Read MoreTwo strangers become close friends after kidney donation
Amanda Hayhurst had no intention of being a kidney donor until she read Vonchelle Knight’s story. While at her oldest son’s tae kwon do class, Hayhurst spotted a sign that read “please help us save our mom.”
Read MoreThis Is Iowa: An Iowa woman’s surprising connection to her kidney donor
When Debbie Kooker received a new kidney, she had no idea who the donor was. Her donor,Kara Wallace, is only 20 years old. Her family has been close to Debbie’s family for decades, and Kara knew her gift had to be top secret because Debbie would have tried to talk her out of it.
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