I can’t believe it. It has been five years since my former kidney went to its new recipient at the University of Michigan hospital. I think of the recipient all of the time and hope he is doing well. I always wonder if he has a party today. Sure hope so! Here is what I posted at the time:
Please register to be a donor!
Join the Michigan Registry or Join the Registry in your state.
The 2016 Greater Lansing Kidney Walk is Sunday June 12. Kidney Walk is the nation’s largest walk to fight kidney disease. I am walking in honor of my dear friends Jackie and Kiersten, who have bravely battled kidney disease and have received transplants. They inspire me every day with their courage.
Several people I know have been impacted by kidney disease as well: My friend Larissa gave a kidney to her dad a few years ago. My friend Jon’s young daughter contracted kidney disease and his wife donated a kidney to her.
The walks not only raise money, they also raise awareness about kidney disease and the need for donors. Too many people are still waiting for a life saving kidney.
Look for kidney walks in your area. Walk or support a walker!
October is the month for the annual Michigan Libraries for Life campaign. My library, Capital Area District Libraries is participating to
help spread the word about organ donation and to help people sign on to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. From Monday, Oct. 5 to Friday, Oct. 9 you can visit participating CADL libraries* to learn more or to sign up with the Registry. It only takes a few minutes but the impact is enormous! Shout out to our neighbor, East Lansing Public Library is also participating.
About 3,400 people are waiting for a life-saving organ in Michigan today. Twenty-one people die each day because an organ transplant was not available in time. Your decision to someday donate could save up to eight lives. Your tissue can ease the pain and improve the lives of up to 50 more sick, injured and blind people.
Probably someone you know has been or will be impacted by the need for an organ or tissue. We have several library staff members directly impacted by organ donation:
Bridget cuts the ribbon for the 2015 Greater Lansing Kidney Walk
Photo by mikidneywalk
Jon from Information Technology: A few years ago, Jon’s young daughter Bridget was diagnosed with the extremely rare chronic kidney disorder Nephronophthisis which damaged both of her kidneys. Fortunately, Bridget didn’t have to go on the waiting list. Her mom Amy gave her the gift of life, donating one of her kidneys to Bridget.
Kiersten and her 10th anniversary kidney cake!
Kiersten from Circulation was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease several years ago. She had started dialysis when her best friend Theresa stepped up to give her the gift of life in 2003. When Theresa found out she was a match for her friend she had only one thing to say at the time: “Let’s do this!”
If you have been reading my blog posts, you know why I am so passionate about organ donation. My dear friend Jackie bravely battled polycystic kidney disease and dialysis for years. She inspired me to donate a kidney to a stranger in 2011. Thankfully Jackie received a kidney in 2010!
*If you live in the greater Lansing area, visit a participating CADL library or East Lansing Public Library during the campaign. If you are a Michiganian, see if your local library is participating. If not, ask them to join next year!
CADL location and times:
Join the Michigan Registry or Join the Registry in your state.
The 2015 Greater Lansing Kidney Walk is Sunday June 15. I have a couple of teams with personal ties and would love for you to donate to them:
My dear friend Jackie and her family are walking in memory of her mother Freda, who left us too soon after her brave battle with kidney disease. Jackie is one of my kidney heroes! She received a transplant in 2010 and inspires me with her courage every day. Many people in her family have battled kidney disease. You can give to Jackie’s team here: Freda’s Kids.
My co-worker Jon has two kidney heroes in his family. His wife Amy gave the gift of life to their daughter Bridget, who battled kidney disease when very young. You can give to their team here: Team Giggles.
My co-worker and friend Kiersten is a kidney recipient and advocate. She received the gift of life in 2003 from her best friend Theresa. You can give to Kiersten’s team here: Team Kiki.
More than 80 cents of every dollar donated to the walk directly supports programs and services for those with kidney disease. To learn more visit, www.kidney.org.
Look for kidney walks in your area. Walk or support a walker!
Happy 3rd anniversary to the recipient and me! August 12 marks three years since the kidney I used to have went to someone else out there. I celebrated with my good friend Jackie and her husband Doug and my godson Justin. They took me out for dim sum and Jackie even made me a cake!
I always think of the recipient on this day and hope he is having a great dialysis free life and doing the things he has always wanted to do. Maybe he has a party or just enjoys another day dialysis free.
So many lives are touched by kidney disease and donation. I have several kidney heroes in my life. My dear friend Jackie of course. Three people who work with me: Kiersten received a kidney from her friend Theresa, Larissa gave a kidney to her father, and Jon’s daughter Bridget received a kidney from her mom Amy.
I hear from people all over the world who have donated a kidney or are waiting for a kidney. I am grateful if this blog helps them in a small way. For those waiting, never give up hope!
What can you do for those waiting? My best anniversary present would be that everyone reading this sign up to be an organ donor if they haven’t done so already. Make sure your family and friends are registered. You CAN make a difference!
Join the Michigan Registry or Join the Registry in your state.
Just a quick post (my laptop is on its last legs, new one on the way!) to say that a VERY important piece of legislation is pending in Congress. I received this in my email today. Contact your senators and representatives now!
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Today, July 30th, The Living Donor Protection Act (H.R. 5263) was introduced by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D- NY) along with Representative Michael Burgess (R-TX). This bill, if passed, will protect living donors from insurance discrimination, grant leave from work to recover from transplant surgery, and promote education about living donation. Email your Members of Congress now to ensure these lifesaving heroes are protected.
The bill will protect living organ donors’ access to life, disability and long-term care insurance by prohibiting insurers from denying coverage or from charging higher premiums. The bill also clarifies that living organ donors may use time granted through the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to recover from transplant surgery. Furthermore, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to educate the general public on the benefits of living organ donation and the rights of living donors.
H.R. 5263 will help kidney patients by removing barriers to living organ donation and thereby strengthening access to transplantation. Most notably, it protects those life-saving heroes who choose to be living organ donors. Living donation helps reduce the amount spent on dialysis and other expensive medical treatments for individuals with kidney failure. However, the bill can’t pass without your support! Click here to ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 5263.
Thank you,
Bruce Skyer
Chief Executive Officer
National Kidney Foundation
Kiersten celebrating 11 years after transplant
The 2014 Greater Lansing Kidney Walk is Sunday June 22. If you are from the Lansing area, consider walking with us or making a donation. If you are from another area, kidney walks are taking place all over the world so check them out. Last year it was so cool to see so many walkers with “I am a living kidney recipient” or “I am a living kidney donor” shirts on!
I have three teams with personal ties and would love for you to donate to them.
My dear friend Jackie and her family are walking in memory of her mother Freda, who left us too soon after her brave battle with kidney disease. Jackie is one of my kidney heroes. She received a transplant in 2010.You can give to Jackie’s team here: Freda’s Kids.
The family of Freda Gilbert Robertson is walking!
Another kidney hero of mine is my friend and co-worker Kiersten. She received the gift of life from her best friend Theresa in 2003. You can give to Kiersten’s walk team here: Team KiKi.
Amy and Bridget
My co-worker Jon has two kidney heroes in his family. His wife Amy gave the gift of life to their daughter Bridget last year. Both are doing well! They have made appearances on local TV and are featured in the National Kidney of Foundation of Michigan Annual Appeal. You can support Amy’s team Giggles here.
Walk or support a walker!
Awhile ago, I told the story of Kiersten and Theresa. Kiersten is my good friend and co-worker. Her best friend Theresa gave her a kidney in 2003. Theresa gave at that time and now it is time to give back to her if we can.
Theresa’s only child, her son AJ, has just passed away after a brave battle with Cystic Fibrosis. He was only 23 years old. She could use a little help with his funeral expenses.
Kiersten has set up a page if you would like to donate.
We kidney people stick together!
Go to List of Resources on Kidney Donation
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 32,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 12 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
For the second time, my library is participating in Michigan Libraries for Life. The aim is to educate patrons about organ, tissue, and eye donation and to actually help people sign on to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. Since 2010 this effort has expanded to include public, academic, special, and hospital libraries across the state. From Monday October 7 to Sunday October 13 you can come to participating Michigan libraries to learn more or to sign up with the Registry. It only takes a few minutes but the impact is enormous!
Bridget received the gift of life from her Mom Amy
About 3,000 people in Michigan are waiting for a transplant and new hope for life. Probably someone you know has been or will be impacted by the need for an organ. Here are some of the organ donation stories just from our library employees alone:
• Jon from Information Technology: Jon’s young daughter Bridget was diagnosed recently with the extremely rare chronic kidney disorder Nephronophthisis which damaged both of her kidneys. Fortunately, Bridget didn’t have to go on the waiting list because her mom Amy gave her the gift of life this past summer, donating one of her kidneys to Bridget. A precious gift from mother to daughter!
• Larissa from Circulation gave the gift of life to her father two years ago when he developed kidney disease. She said: “I found out he would have to wait four years to receive a cadaver kidney. Dialysis is very hard on the body, plus it was heartbreaking to see his quality of life decline. So when he went into complete renal failure, I called my parents and offered mine.”
• Kiersten from Circulation was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease several years ago and had started dialysis when her best friend Theresa stepped up to give her the gift of life. This year they celebrated the tenth anniversary of the donation. When Theresa found out she was a match for her friend she had only one thing to say at the time: “Let’s do this!”
• Dallas from Public Services: “My mother had a heart transplant at Ann Arbor. She received the heart of a young man who had died in a car accident. At the time of surgery, we were told she would live about five more years. Considering that she was on oxygen and getting weaker every day, this was great news. I remember sitting in the waiting room and watching a team of workers go through with a cooler that held the heart. Mom’s life quality was pretty bad after the surgery, but I know all of us were thankful for the extra time we had with her. She was the oldest recipient of a heart at that time…I guess the most amazing part of this is that she lived for fifteen years with a transplanted heart! Whenever I think of the man who gave my mother her extra years, I am thankful. Every person in our family is a donor!!”
Join the Michigan Registry or Join the Registry in your state.
Adventures of a Kidney Donor 
