For we living donors, the calendar year is consistently a meaningful time to remember those who have trod this path before us. It's been more than sixty years now that healthy people have chosen to undergo hospitalization and surgery to aid in therapy intended to more successfully treat patients in end stage organ failure. The practice of living organ donation, who donates to whom, how, and where has broadened dramatically. There are likely about two hundred thousand of us worldwide, living still, with approximately 10,000 more joining us year after year. These are round numbers, with little chance of more specificity, as long term follow up to monitor wellness of living donors is still not a sufficiently high priority for transplant professionals to do it well, consistently, everywhere, including those of us they've failed to maintain relationships with for decades. May you be remembering your intention to give a gift, hoping for the best for you and your recipient, whether you know who that was or not, whether those hopes were fulfilled in every detail or not. Best wishes, all.
Sixty-first anniversary
Ronald Herrick donated a kidney to his brother on December 23rd, 1954, the first successful solid organ transplant. Ron died at age 79 on December 27th, 2010.
Thirtieth anniversary
Robert A. Hancox donated a kidney to his sister on December 11th, 1985
Twenty-fourth anniversary
Juanita DeVeaux donated a kidney to her daughter on December 4th, 1991
Twenty-first anniversary
Natalie Cardoza donated a kidney to her sister on December 21st, 1994
Twentieth anniversary
Emmitt Lee Lewis donated a kidney to his little brother, Glen, on December 8th, 1995. Emmitt's daughter, Deborah Lewis-Grimes, says they were the first African-American living donor-recipient siblings in the US.
Sheila Leander donated a kidney to her husband, Brian, on December 27th, 1995
Nineteenth anniversary
Gregory F. Welsh donated bone marrow to Maria Hall on December 6th, 1996
Sixteenth anniversary
Heather Roberts donated a kidney to her father in December, 1999. He died in 2012, with kidney function still good.
Cheryl McCullough donated part of her liver to her husband on December 14th, 1999
Fourteenth anniversary
Phillip Ondler donated a kidney to his sister on December 14th, 2001
Bob Jauch donated part on his liver to his daughter on December 20th, 2001
Janice O'Connell donated a kidney to friend on December 26th, 2001
Thirteenth anniversary
Bill Shummel donated a kidney anonymously on December 17th, 2002
Twelfth anniversary
Micheline donated a kidney to a friend on December 5th, 2003
Kevin donated part of his liver to his father on December 8th, 2003
Barbara Sher Cohen donated a kidney to her brother on December 9th, 2003
Larry Miller donated a kidney to his daughter on December 16th, 2003
Melanie Wallace donated a kidney to a stranger on December 16th, 2003
Kathryn Jones donated part of her liver to a friend on December 18th, 2003. Her friend died two months later.
Bev donated a kidney to a stranger on December 23, 2003
Elizabeth A. Miller donated a kidney to a friend on December 30th, 2003
Lisa Ornelas donated a kidney to her sister on December 30th, 2003
Eleventh anniversary
Sarah Wright donated a kidney to her brother on December 1st, 2004
Becky Livingston donated a kidney to her cousin on December 12th, 2004
Tenth anniversary
Mary Kirk donated a kidney to her brother-in-law on December 6th, 2005
Charlotte Buckley donated a kidney to a friend's mother on December 7th, 2005
Jay Paustian donated a kidney to a friend on December 13th, 2005
Amanda Gedraitis donated a kidney anonymously on December 15th, 2005
Coleen Damon donated a kidney to her mother on December 27th, 2005
Doug Boston donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on December 28th, 2005
Ninth anniversary
Meghan McGrail donated a kidney to her uncle, Danny Cavicchi, on December 5th, 2006
Rick Hodgkins donated a kidney to his mother on December 7th, 2006
Brian Earnshaw donated a kidney to his uncle on December 12th, 2006
Wayne Ellenberger donated a kidney to a stranger on December 12th, 2006
Billie Ward donated part of her liver to an unrelated recipient on December 22nd, 2006
Mary Lou Hery donated a kidney to her daughter on December 22, 2006
Lisa donated a kidney to her daughter on December 27th, 2006
Eighth anniversary
Sylvia Toler donated a kidney to her husband, Steve, on December 4th, 2007
Connie Watts donated to her cousin on December 7th, 2007
Christine Robinson made a non-directed donation on December 11th, 2007
Brett Menzy donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on December 18th, 2007
Eric Savage donated a kidney to his father on December 18th, 2007
Seventh anniversary
Craig Tohill donated a kidney to his Aunt Sue on December 7th, 2008
Tom Moore donated a kidney to his brother on December 9th, 2008
Joshua donated a kidney to a stranger on December 10th, 2008
Philip R. Knisely donated a kidney to his co-worker, Jose Luis Vara, Jr., on December 30th, 2008
Sixth anniversary
Rob Upham donated a kidney to Sandra Erice on December 7th, 2009
Pamela Hull donated a kidney in the 2009 Georgetown exchange (one of 13 donors) so her cousin could receive a kidney on December 8th, 2009
Bill Martinez donated a kidney to his cousin, Nicholas, on December 9th, 2009
Kimberly Jensen donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Bill Flitton, on December 9th, 2009
Matt Knowles donated a kidney to his wife on December 9th, 2009
Gina Mingrone became a non-directed donor in the New England Paired Kidney Exchange (NEPKE) on December 15th, 2009, initiating a chain of donors and recipients from Maine to New Jersey and back!
Kara Lucca donated a kidney as 1 of 13 donors in a nationwide chain on December 17th, 2009, while her husband was 1 of 13 recipients
Lori Wagner donated a kidney to her father on December 29th, 2009
Fifth anniversary
Ellie started a non-directed kidney donor chain on December 16th, 2010
Fourth anniversary
Jody Woodward made a non-directed kidney donation on December 8th, 2011
Curtis donated a kidney in a chain on December 12th, 2011
Stephanie Marie donated a kidney to Selina, an unrelated person, on December 13th, 2011
Jane donated a kidney to her brother Tom on December 14th, 2011
Lisa Goldberg donated a kidney to her father, Larry Berg, on December 15th, 2011
Kris Oien donated a kidney to Clifford, an unrelated person, on December 16th, 2011
TG Gordon donated a kidney to her brother on December 16th, 2011
Third anniversary
Harjit Dhahan Hallan donated a kidney on December 10th, 2012
Charlotte Fox donated a kidney to her 6 year old daughter on December 13th, 2012
Donna Aronne donated a kidney to her husband on December 13th, 2012
Renee Romero donated a kidney to her father, Wendell Douberly, on December 21st, 2012
Second anniversary
Melissa Vizenor made an unrelated kidney donation to Rachel on December 2nd, 2013
Michaela donated a kidney to a stranger, Kieron, now a best friend, on December 5th, 2013
Sarah Beecher donated a kidney to her son on December 5th. 2013
Lisa Tabor McCrea donated a kidney to Ellen Garner, found on matchingdonors.com, on December 13th, 2013
Joyce Anne donated a kidney to her older sister, Joanna, on December 16th, 2013
Kevin Slifka donated a kidney to his nephew on December 17th, 2013
Alex Wollangk donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Ron Schwalbach, on December 19th, 2013
Cynthia Hawkins Lindell was a non directed kidney donor on December 19th, 2013
Karen Whiteford donated a kidney to her brother, Thomas Mercier, on December 20th, 2013
David Taylor donated a kidney to his son, Dale, on December 23rd, 2013
First anniversary
Lynn Bolduc was a non directed kidney donor on December 8th, 2014
Laura R. Friedeberg donated a kidney to her mother, Ursula, on December 17th, 2014
Topic: December 2015 Anniversaries (Read 4095 times)