https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/

We hope you all took a moment on April 1st to remember National Living Donor Day! Extraordinary we have our own holiday, though I wonder about the move from April 11th to April 1st. What do you think? Happy anniversary to all celebrating, and of course we know not everyone has happy memories to celebrate. Our best wishes for heart's ease to you all. We have all tried to make another's life better, and grappled with the chance we might not succeed. Again, we're so sorry if you're still suffering. Take good care.

Consider joining our calendar celebrants! Full instructions are on our calendar page, https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/

Thank you all!

Thirty-ninth anniversary:
Andrew Drukker donated a kidney to his sister, Sue, on April 10th, 1987

Thirty-sixth anniversary:
Chris Tomola donated a kidney to his brother on April 25th, 1990

Thirty-fourth anniversary:
Tony Fagan donated a kidney to his sister on April 8th, 1992
James D. Breyer donated a kidney to his sister, Susan K. Starcher, on April 22nd, 1992

Thirtieth anniversary:
Michalene J Dischinger donated a kidney to his sister, Judith Cleveland, on April 3rd, 1996

Twenty-ninth anniversary:
Dan donated a kidney to his daughter on April 4th, 1997
Barbara Day donated a kidney to her husband on April 9th, 1997
Christine Rowe donated a kidney to her nephew on April 10th, 1997

Twenty-seventh anniversary:
Stacey donated a kidney to her aunt, Cheryl, on April 1st, 1999
Daniel Lasater donated part of his liver to his sister on April 7th, 1999

Twenty-sixth anniversary:
Brent Jensen donated a kidney to his wife on April 6th, 2000
Rachel Bennett donated a kidney to her sister on April 27th, 2000

Twenty-fifth anniversary:
Marco Regnier donated a kidney to his cousin on April 11th, 2001
Kimberly Tracy donated a kidney to her nephew on April 12th, 2001
Lisa Clare donated a kidney to her cousin on April 23rd, 2001

Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Michelle Desler donated a kidney to her brother on April 2nd, 2002
Duchess Freeman donated a kidney to her husband on April 4th, 2002
Carol Bullard donated part of her liver to her sister on April 8th, 2002

Twenty-third anniversary:
Michael Weil donated a kidney to his nephew on April 1st, 2003
Timothy A. Kimbirk donated a kidney to his son, Timothy B. Kimbirk, on April 16th, 2003
Father Jim Falsey donated a kidney to a stranger on April 21st, 2003
Dolores Barquera donated a kidney to her daughter on April 24th, 2003
Angela Rennick donated a kidney to her uncle on April 25th, 2003
Michele Walker donated a kidney to her son on April 30th, 2003

Twenty-second anniversary:
Hillary Greene donated lung tissue to an unrelated person on April 7th, 2004
Howard Meyerson donated two lung lobes to his sister on April 7th, 2004
Jeani Vance donated a kidney to her sister on April 16th, 2004

Twenty-first anniversary:
Melissa Breen donated part of her liver to her father on April 5th, 2005

Twentieth anniversary:
Diane donated a kidney to a stranger on April 6th, 2006
Fernando Torre donated a kidney to his wife on April 26th, 2006
Lisa K. donated a kidney to her brother on April 27th, 2006

Nineteenth anniversary:
Patty Mack donated a kidney to her brother on April 12th, 2007
Peter G donated a kidney to his father on April 12th, 2007
Alexandria Holmes donated a kidney to a friend's mother on April 18th, 2007
Tom Simon donated a kidney to a stranger on April 19th, 2007
Jenny Bokeno donated a kidney to her brother, Darin, on April 23rd, 2007

Eighteenth anniversary:
Brooke Bowen donated a kidney to her cousin on April 16th, 2008

Seventeenth anniversary:
Kristen McLoughlin donated a kidney to a stranger, Cynthia Jacobson, now a friend, on April 15th, 2009
Veronica Rivas donated a kidney to her mother, Esperanza Alcauter, on April 23rd, 2009

Sixteenth anniversary:
Sabrina St-Hilaire donated a kidney to her uncle, Luc, on April 20th, 2010
Patricia Ahearn donated a kidney through a NEPKE 4 way swap to benefit her husband on April 26th, 2010
Dr. Ekta Singh donated a kidney to Rajkumar, her father-in-law, on April 28th, 2010

Fifteenth anniversary:
Amy Donohue donated a kidney to Anu (Tiny Mom) Dwivedi on April 19th, 2011

Fourteenth anniversary:
Johnny donated in a National Kidney Registry chain to benefit his girlfriend on April 3rd, 2012
Ray Mueller made a non-directed kidney donation April 3rd, 2012, through the National Kidney Registry
Michael Green donated a kidney to his friend, Trudy Thompson-Larkins, on April 6th, 2012
Jacqui donated a kidney to her brother on April 19th, 2012
Kris Madden donated a kidney to her cousin on April 19th, 2012
Shelly Pattinson donated a kidney to her brother, Curtis Phillips, on April 19th, 2012
Suzie donated a kidney to her friend, Kevin, on April 19th, 2012
Janice Gildow made a non-directed kidney donation on April 20th, 2012
Stephanie donated a kidney to her Dad on April 24th, 2012. Unfortunately, despite her gift working well, he passed away a month later.
Barbara Altizer donated a kidney to her friend, Nicole Hickey, on April 26th, 2012

Thirteenth anniversary:
Don Kraemer donated a kidney to a Canadian paired exchange on behalf of his wife, Lori, on April 3rd, 2013 
Kevin Bernheisel donated a kidney to William Johnson, his sister's father-in-law, on April 4th, 2013
Laura Davis donated a kidney to her co-worker, Jenny DeLorenzo, on April 4th, 2013
Ashlee Edwards donated a kidney to her cousin on April 10th, 2013
Trudi Fenzel donated a kidney to her sister-in-law on April 11, 2013
Ayushi Datta donated a kidney to her mother, Anuradha, on April 15th, 2013
Ruth Crouch Watson donated a kidney to her 17 year old niece on April 15th, 2013
Jennifer Williams donated a kidney to her Dad, Leon, on April 16th, 2013
Anni Hanson donated a kidney to her friend, Eric Frahm, on April 23rd, 2013
Joseph Hoofnagle donated a kidney to his father, Martin, on March 29th, 2013. Martin passed away one and a half years later.

Twelfth anniversary:
Luis Carlos Roblejo donated a kidney to his pastor, Fr. Philip Fabiano, on April 7th, 2014
Becky Cox donated a kidney to her brother, BJ Benton, on April 11th, 2014

First anniversary:
Emily Gentile made a non-directed kidney donation to a stranger on April 1st, 2025

https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/

FYI, this has turned personal recently. After 22 years of 1.1 or 1.2 creatinine and GFR > 60, my physical last fall included a 1.3 creatinine and 55 GFR. In the five months since my PCP decided to go ultra cautious, I've seen my urologist and a new nephrologist, three more blood draws and two more urinalyses. Creatinine is holding steady at 1.3, GFR is back above 60, and urine is normal. PCP and nephrologist want regular follow-up, urologist says, "You just turned 67. These are great numbers for someone with two kidneys. If we see a spiking trend, that'll be an issue." From my viewpoint, I'm already seeing both PCP and urologist regularly, now I have a nephrologist, too. I feel fine and am unworried. May you have as good fortune.

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/michigan-enacts-living-donor-10000-tax-credit

Michigan enacts living donor $10,000 tax credit
By Ingrid Kelley


The Brief

• • Starting with the 2025 tax year, when you give the gift of life, such as through a liver or kidney donation.
  • This tax credit covers un-reimbursed expenses like lost wages, travel and hotel expenses, and childcare costs for qualifying organ donations made on or after Jan. 1, 2025.

...

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/new-kensington-woman-living-donor-donation/

Pittsburgh-area woman donates liver to coworker's mom: "How could I not?"
By Chris Hoffman

A New Kensington woman in need of a liver transplant found a living donor in an unexpected source: her daughter's coworker.
Without really knowing the recipient, the donor knew the pain the family was going through and wanted to help in the most selfless way possible.
Jaylynne Kemerly and Dr. Brianna Bayer are now forever connected.
"We're liver buddies," Bayer laughed.
Kemerly was diagnosed with a liver disease in 2007 that slowly damages the liver. She says in the past couple of years, between the pain, iron transfusions, blood transfusions and stomach bleeding, her quality of life became miserable.
"I was spending more time at a hospital, or I was in bed," Kemerly remembered.
Her daughter works with Bayer at an AHN facility in Cheswick.
"I know how close they are, so I had a firsthand seat to watching through her daughter's eyes the decline in her health and how hard that was on her and her family," Bayer said.
After Kemerly got on the transplant list and found out no family members were a match, Bayer stepped up while living a busy life as a doctor with four kids.
"My thought was just 'how could you not?' How could you not take that chance to help somebody?" Bayer said.
Kemerly and Bayer matched and after a bout with cancer, Kemerly was able to get her transplant on Aug. 11 last year at Allegheny General Hospital. Surgeons took about two-thirds of Bayer's liver.
"She's a wonderful person. She's my miracle," Kemerly said.
Now more than six months later, both are doing fine. Kemerly's body has accepted the transplant and Bayer's liver grew back. While Bayer is humble, saying she was just trying to help someone, Kemerly is beyond grateful for a new chance in life.
"She gave me more time with my husband and family, my grandkids. I'm so thankful," Kemerly said.
"What more could you ask for? And what greater gift could you give somebody?" Bayer said.  
"I may not be standing here without her," Kemerly replied.

Amanda's listing is new this past month and she sent along media links to some of the coverage she's experienced since:

https://abcnews4.com/features/lowcountry-woman-donates-part-of-liver-to-pediatric-patient-in-honor-of-family-friend-wciv-abc-news-4-network-for-hope-organ-donation-amanda-graham-liver-cancer

https://www.live5news.com/2025/04/11/helping-save-lives-push-more-living-organ-donors/

https://www.redcross.org/local/south-carolina/about-us/news-and-events/news/giving-pieces-of-herself-to-help-others--red-cross-blood-donor-d.html

https://www.wvxu.org/show/cincinnati-edition/2025-12-18/living-donors-liver-portion

https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/

March 12th is World Kidney Day!

  I hope this month finds you all in good health, good spirits, and surrounded by loved ones. Here are the amazing folks celebrating memories of sacrifice on behalf of others, from Rosemarie 49 years ago, to Amanda last year. One of our celebrity donors, Virginia, is celebrating 20 years this month. We sympathize with Marva and Sunil who are remembering their losses of their recipients 22 and 19 years ago. 

  Do take good care all! Invite others to share their anniversary with us!

https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/


Forty-ninth anniversary:
Rosemarie Gower Kelley's older sister donated a kidney to her on March 17th, 1977

Fortieth anniversary:
Grace donated a kidney to her daughter on March 17th, 1986

Thirty-seventh anniversary:
Mychelle Rucker donated a kidney to her brother on March 9th, 1989

Thirty-third anniversary:
Ronald E. Harper donated a kidney to his spouse, Barbara J. Harper, on March 23rd, 1993. "Kidney survived 18 years."

Thirtieth anniversary:
John donated a kidney to his friend Anne on March 11th, 1996

Twenty-eighth anniversary:
Gina Thor donated a kidney to her brother on March 3rd, 1998
Maxine Tierney donated a kidney to her sister, Hunter Mahon, on March 17th, 1998

Twenty-seventh anniversary:
Christine Hayes donated a kidney to her friend, Naomi Pollard, on March 18th, 1999

Twenty-sixth anniversary:
Susan Molloy donated a kidney to her husband, James, on March 13th, 2000

Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Jeff Sears donated a kidney to his mother on March 2nd, 2002

Twenty-third anniversary:
Rebecca Miller donated a kidney to her father, Bob, on March 11th, 2003
Patricia DiClemente donated a kidney to a stranger on March 14th, 2003
Shandy Wheaton donated a kidney to her mom, Shirley Wheaton on March 24th, 2003
Patrick McGuire donated a kidney to his wife on March 26th, 2003

Twenty-second anniversary:
Margaret Earnest donated a kidney to her husband on March 4th, 2004
Kay Rapien donated a kidney to her brother-in-law on March 9th, 2004
Marva Gresham donated a kidney to an unrelated person found on LDO! (since deceased) on March 25th, 2004
Jason Clipston donated a kidney to his brother on March 29th, 2004
Selena Hall donated a kidney to a friend on March 30th, 2004

Twenty-first anniversary:
Sally Reif donated a kidney to Shar Senor Carlyle on March 2nd, 2005
Michelle Makedon donated a kidney to her father, Paul Makedon, on March 8th, 2005
Erick Gray donated a kidney to his father on March 22nd, 2005
Kelly Stout donated a kidney to a co-worker on March 22nd, 2005

Twentieth anniversary:
Virginia Postrel donated a kidney to a friend, Sally Satel, on March 4th, 2006
Donna donated a kidney to her husband on March 14th, 2006
Linda Busby donated a kidney to her brother on March 24th, 2006
Anthony Hart donated a kidney to his niece on March 29th, 2006
Carrie Schwaderer donated a kidney to the son of a customer on March 29th, 2006

Nineteenth anniversary:
Christy Lindell donated a kidney to her sister on March 5th, 2007
Holly Harrington donated a kidney to her sister on March 5th, 2007
RaChelle Wilkinson (Shell) donated a kidney to her friend, Sandra, on March 20th, 2007
Kelly Anne Astle donated a kidney to her father on March 22nd, 2007
Sunil Joseph donated a kidney to his brother on March 29th, 2007.  His brother died seven days later, on Good Friday.

Eighteenth anniversary:
Mindy-J Wise donated a kidney on March 3rd, 2008
Barbara Coleman donated a kidney to Alyssa, a 19 year old family friend, on March 6th, 2008
Michael von Wahlde donated a kidney to his mother, Carol, on March 10th, 2008
Denora Carpenter donated a kidney to a friend on March 19th, 2008
Anna Kidd donated a kidney to Jody on March 26th, 2008
David Schneider donated a kidney to his stepfather on March 27th, 2008

Seventeenth anniversary:
James Roach III donated a kidney to his wife's cousin, Joe, on March 9th, 2009
Julie Sullivan donated a kidney to her brother, Clint, on March 31st, 2009

Sixteenth anniversary:
Lisa Marie Kull donated a kidney to her friend, Heather Tucker, on March 5th, 2010
Erica Rodriguez donated a kidney to her brother, Anthony, on March 18th, 2010
Cindy Wittmier donated a kidney to her best friend, Gloria Thiessen, on March 23rd, 2010
Christine Lerchen donated a kidney to her Dad on March 24th, 2010
Scot Sandhoefner made a non-directed kidney donation on March 26th, 2010
Bonnie Goldberg donated a kidney to an unrelated person on March 30th, 2010

Fifteenth anniversary:
Shari Newman donated a kidney to her older sister, Dawn Ahrens, on March 8th, 2011
Janice Dodge donated a kidney to her niece, Jennifer Verhoeven, on March 10th, 2011
Donna Holmes donated a kidney to her husband, Steve, on March 11th, 2011
Steve Windle donated a kidney to his brother, Tom, on March 15th, 2011

Fourteenth anniversary:
Michael Eckman donated a kidney to his brother, Mark, on March 9th, 2012
Emilie donated a kidney to a friend on March 26th, 2012
Alyssa Stubblefield donated a kidney to Kristi, an unrelated person, on March 27th, 2012
Suzanne Frye donated a kidney to her mother, Barb, on March 27th, 2012
Jody Phipps donated a kidney to her cousin, Doug Henning, on March 29th, 2012

Thirteenth anniversary:
Elizabeth Castillo donated a kidney to her brother, Alex De La Torre, on March 15th, 2013
Chad Snodgrass donated a kidney to his friend, Joe Brown, on March 25th, 2013
Tammy Grindle donated a kidney to her friend, Warren Conary, on March 26th, 2013

Eleventh anniversary:
Jim Mullins donated part of his liver to his brother, Tim, on March 9th, 2015
Christine Brock donated a kidney in a paired exchange to benefit her best friend's father on March 26th, 2015

Sixth anniversary:
Terri Herrington donated her left kidney to Jeffrey Granger, already a kidney-pancreas recipient of Terri's since deceased husband, on March 3rd, 2020. Jeffrey received 2 more years from Terri.

First anniversary:
Amanda Graham made a non-directed donation of part of her liver to nine month old Sylvia Green on March 7th, 2025

https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/

Please consider applying! Try to get your application in by March 16th! New committee members likely to be contacted for interviews quickly, as the goal is to have all voted on and seated on July 1st. Thank you!

A close friend of ours asked my husband to support him in his attempt to altruistically donate his spare kidney to a man in America dying from stage-4 kidney disease while also looking after his wife suffering from advanced Alzheimer's. My husband captured the process on camera and I produced the film. What followed was really amazing. We hope this can help spread awareness about this gift of life process, dispel some of the myths and fears around it, and inspire others to step forward to donate. The full documentary will be out soon.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/i_9zWQZXrUs

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15587211/Dying-father-38-denied-liver-transplant-tumour-0-4mm-big.html

Father-of-one, 38, recently diagnosed with cancer is denied liver transplant 'because his tumour is 4mm too big'
By EMMA GRITT

...
Ms Kay has spoken of her 'utter fear' at the prospect of losing her husband, and is feeling the pressure or finding - and funding - a living liver donor after James' medical team told the couple that time was not on their side. 
She said: 'The cancer is so aggressive and James does not have time to wait. Unless we can get it done abroad, he won't survive.'
...

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2845580

The Evolution of Deceased Organ Donation in the US
Aleah L. Brubaker, MD, PhD1; Jesse D. Schold, PhD, MStat, MEd2,3;  Gabriel T. Schnickel, MD, MPH1
JAMA
Published Online: February 26, 2026
doi: 10.1001/jama.2026.0621

Modern transplantation began in 1954 when Joseph Murray, MD, successfully transplanted a kidney from one identical twin brother to another. Since then, the US transplant system has evolved through a public-private partnership to address trust, ensure equity, and expand access. In 1968, the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act created a state-level legal basis for organ donation, establishing an individual's right to make an anatomic gift after death. Rapid adoption of this act led to emergence of regional organ procurement organizations (OPOs), formed as extensions of transplant centers or hospital networks, and ad hoc operating practices shaped by local hospital relationships and various legal interpretations.
...