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#11
Living Donation in the News / Spotlight On: Giselle Guerra, ...
Last post by Clark - May 13, 2026, 06:33:16 PMhttps://capitalanalyticsassociates.com/spotlight-on-giselle-guerra-executive-director-miami-transplant-institute/
Spotlight On: Giselle Guerra, Executive Director, Miami Transplant Institute
Key points:
- • Miami Transplant Institute is advancing transplant care through robotics, AI, and complex multi-organ procedures.
- • Leaders are pushing to expand living donation by breaking myths around donor safety and recovery.
- • MTI combines innovation with personalized, culturally aware care to improve patient outcomes.
As medical director of the living kidney donor program at the Miami Transplant Institute (MTI), a joint enterprise between UHealth—University of Miami Health System and Jackson Health System, Giselle Guerra leads a specialized program at one of the nation's most ambitious transplant centers, one that routinely takes on complex, multi-organ cases that other places decline. Guerra spoke with Invest: about MTI's focus on living donation, robotic surgery, artificial intelligence, and xenotransplantation. "There are significant myths and misconceptions about what it means to be a living donor. The reality is that you can live a full, healthy, productive life after donating," Guerra said.
...
#12
Living Donation in the News / This couple launched a nonprof...
Last post by Clark - May 13, 2026, 06:25:51 PMhttps://www.healthcare-brew.com/stories/2026/05/05/launched-nonprofit-democratize-transplant-information
This couple launched a nonprofit to democratize transplant information
At 31, Tristan Mace needed a heart transplant, and the experience showed him how much the industry needed better information around care.
ByCassie McGrath
MAY 5, 2026
Five years ago, when he was 31 years old, Tristan Mace was in a coma in the hospital. The venture capitalist and tech entrepreneur had initially thought he had pneumonia but soon learned his heart was failing.
That left Jordan Mace, his wife who was three months pregnant with their first child at the time, to make a big decision: Should Tristan get a heart transplant?
She told us she was handed a binder with an overwhelming amount of information and given 24 hours to decide. It had answers to everything from whether a transplant recipient can get a tattoo or have a cat to if they can have children, she recalled.
The procedure was successful, but it left the couple with a new mission to make the transplant process easier for other patients and caregivers.
That's why on May 5 they launched the nonprofit transplants.org, a site that digitizes all those different binders to provide a one-stop shop for reliable, up-to-date transplant information.
...
This couple launched a nonprofit to democratize transplant information
At 31, Tristan Mace needed a heart transplant, and the experience showed him how much the industry needed better information around care.
ByCassie McGrath
MAY 5, 2026
Five years ago, when he was 31 years old, Tristan Mace was in a coma in the hospital. The venture capitalist and tech entrepreneur had initially thought he had pneumonia but soon learned his heart was failing.
That left Jordan Mace, his wife who was three months pregnant with their first child at the time, to make a big decision: Should Tristan get a heart transplant?
She told us she was handed a binder with an overwhelming amount of information and given 24 hours to decide. It had answers to everything from whether a transplant recipient can get a tattoo or have a cat to if they can have children, she recalled.
The procedure was successful, but it left the couple with a new mission to make the transplant process easier for other patients and caregivers.
That's why on May 5 they launched the nonprofit transplants.org, a site that digitizes all those different binders to provide a one-stop shop for reliable, up-to-date transplant information.
...
#13
Living Donation in the News / Q&A: What’s new in living kidn...
Last post by Clark - May 13, 2026, 06:20:31 PMhttps://www.healio.com/news/nephrology/20260505/qa-whats-new-in-living-kidney-donation-evaluation-and-counseling
Q&A: What's new in living kidney donation, evaluation and counseling
Key takeaways:
In a review published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Krista Lentine, MD, PhD, medical director of living donation at the SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital Transplant Center, and colleagues highlighted insights that have emerged since the KDIGO guideline publication. Among these, genetic testing, use of a race-neutral eGFR equation and hypertension guidelines have led to changes that may be considered in future guideline updates, they wrote.
Outside of the review, recent news stories, such as actor Jesse Eisenberg's kidney donation, have also brought public awareness to the act of living kidney donation. Eisenberg made a nondirected kidney donation in late 2025.
In addition, policy-driven movements to expand access and support for living donation are being proposed at the federal level.
Healio spoke with Lentine about how clinicians can inform patients about the benefits and risks for living donation and the power of storytelling in building awareness.
...
Q&A: What's new in living kidney donation, evaluation and counseling
Key takeaways:
- Innovations in living donation counseling include genetic testing, a race-neutral eGFR equation and hypertension guidelines.
- Clinicians can ask patients with advanced CKD what they know about living donation.
In a review published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Krista Lentine, MD, PhD, medical director of living donation at the SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital Transplant Center, and colleagues highlighted insights that have emerged since the KDIGO guideline publication. Among these, genetic testing, use of a race-neutral eGFR equation and hypertension guidelines have led to changes that may be considered in future guideline updates, they wrote.
Outside of the review, recent news stories, such as actor Jesse Eisenberg's kidney donation, have also brought public awareness to the act of living kidney donation. Eisenberg made a nondirected kidney donation in late 2025.
In addition, policy-driven movements to expand access and support for living donation are being proposed at the federal level.
Healio spoke with Lentine about how clinicians can inform patients about the benefits and risks for living donation and the power of storytelling in building awareness.
...
#14
Living Donation in the News / Investigating the investigator...
Last post by Clark - May 13, 2026, 06:17:04 PMhttps://www.niskanencenter.org/investigating-the-investigators-congressional-oversight-and-state-capacity/
Investigating the investigators: Congressional oversight and state capacity
Justin Cohen
...
What should the future of congressional oversight look like? One good model is the bipartisan coalition of Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Todd Young (R-IN), and Ben Cardin (D-MD), who in 2020 investigated the government's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) program, which a single federal contractor, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), had managed for 40 years. From numerous hearings and reports, the group of senators determined that UNOS's management had led to significant failures, including the discarding of organs that were viable for transplants.
The group's final report noted that experts estimated its recommendations to improve OPTN — chiefly, opening OPTN to more contractor competition — would allow 28,000 more transplants each year and save up to $40 billion over the next decade. The senators championed the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act (H.R.2544), which incorporated many of their recommendations when President Joseph R. Biden signed it into law in 2023.
...
Investigating the investigators: Congressional oversight and state capacity
Justin Cohen
...
What should the future of congressional oversight look like? One good model is the bipartisan coalition of Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Todd Young (R-IN), and Ben Cardin (D-MD), who in 2020 investigated the government's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) program, which a single federal contractor, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), had managed for 40 years. From numerous hearings and reports, the group of senators determined that UNOS's management had led to significant failures, including the discarding of organs that were viable for transplants.
The group's final report noted that experts estimated its recommendations to improve OPTN — chiefly, opening OPTN to more contractor competition — would allow 28,000 more transplants each year and save up to $40 billion over the next decade. The senators championed the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act (H.R.2544), which incorporated many of their recommendations when President Joseph R. Biden signed it into law in 2023.
...
#15
Living Donation in the News / Nature Summary: Living Donor L...
Last post by Clark - May 13, 2026, 06:02:30 PMhttps://www.nature.com/nature-index/topics/l4/living-donor-liver-transplantation-techniques
Living Donor Liver Transplantation Techniques
Summary
Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has evolved into a life-saving procedure that relies on the careful selection of donor grafts, precise surgical planning and enhanced perioperative management. Donor safety remains paramount, guiding the choice between left lateral, left lobe and right lobe grafts according to recipient body size and underlying pathology. Preoperative imaging, notably computed tomography (CT) volumetry, establishes graft size and vascular anatomy, ensuring an optimal graft-to-recipient weight ratio and reducing the risk of small-for-size graft syndrome. Surgical refinements such as minimally invasive donor hepatectomy and refined parenchymal transection techniques have reduced postoperative morbidity. In the recipient, portal flow modulation strategies—including splenectomy, splenic artery ligation and portocaval shunting—are employed to prevent excessive portal hyperperfusion and shear injury to a marginal graft. Advances in machine learning and deep-learning algorithms now support donor–recipient matching and accurate graft weight estimation, further personalising care and improving long-term graft survival. Attention to graft regeneration kinetics, monitored through serial volumetry and liver function markers, underpins protocols for immunosuppression and rehabilitation. Collectively, these technical advances underscore a global trend towards precision LDLT, balancing donor risk and recipient benefit with ever greater fidelity.
...
Living Donor Liver Transplantation Techniques
Summary
Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has evolved into a life-saving procedure that relies on the careful selection of donor grafts, precise surgical planning and enhanced perioperative management. Donor safety remains paramount, guiding the choice between left lateral, left lobe and right lobe grafts according to recipient body size and underlying pathology. Preoperative imaging, notably computed tomography (CT) volumetry, establishes graft size and vascular anatomy, ensuring an optimal graft-to-recipient weight ratio and reducing the risk of small-for-size graft syndrome. Surgical refinements such as minimally invasive donor hepatectomy and refined parenchymal transection techniques have reduced postoperative morbidity. In the recipient, portal flow modulation strategies—including splenectomy, splenic artery ligation and portocaval shunting—are employed to prevent excessive portal hyperperfusion and shear injury to a marginal graft. Advances in machine learning and deep-learning algorithms now support donor–recipient matching and accurate graft weight estimation, further personalising care and improving long-term graft survival. Attention to graft regeneration kinetics, monitored through serial volumetry and liver function markers, underpins protocols for immunosuppression and rehabilitation. Collectively, these technical advances underscore a global trend towards precision LDLT, balancing donor risk and recipient benefit with ever greater fidelity.
...
#16
Living Donation in the News / National Kidney Foundation edu...
Last post by Clark - May 13, 2026, 05:59:35 PMhttps://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/health/2026/04/27/national-kidney-foundation-holds-event-to-educate-people-on-becoming-a-living-organ-donor
National Kidney Foundation holds event to educate people on becoming a living organ donor
The National Kidney Foundation held an event Sunday in Irondequoit to inform people about how they can become a living organ donor.
Doctors say there are a lot of people who are unaware of the process of donating an organ. But one local doctor and a living organ donor both compare the process to donating blood.
"So I think they just don't understand what the process is," said Dr. Jeremy Taylor, transplant director of nephrology at the University of Rochester. "You know, people know about donating blood, but they don't know about donating organs and I think it's something a lot of people can do."
Living kidney donation has traditionally had excellent outcomes for both the donor and the recipient.
According to a study published in JAMA, fewer than 1 in 10,000 donors die within three months of surgery. More than 98% of kidneys from living donors are still functioning one year after the procedure, according to Stanford Health Care. Living donor kidneys generally provide better long-term survival for recipients compared to deceased donor kidneys.
National Kidney Foundation holds event to educate people on becoming a living organ donor
The National Kidney Foundation held an event Sunday in Irondequoit to inform people about how they can become a living organ donor.
Doctors say there are a lot of people who are unaware of the process of donating an organ. But one local doctor and a living organ donor both compare the process to donating blood.
"So I think they just don't understand what the process is," said Dr. Jeremy Taylor, transplant director of nephrology at the University of Rochester. "You know, people know about donating blood, but they don't know about donating organs and I think it's something a lot of people can do."
Living kidney donation has traditionally had excellent outcomes for both the donor and the recipient.
According to a study published in JAMA, fewer than 1 in 10,000 donors die within three months of surgery. More than 98% of kidneys from living donors are still functioning one year after the procedure, according to Stanford Health Care. Living donor kidneys generally provide better long-term survival for recipients compared to deceased donor kidneys.
#17
Living Donation in the News / Avera Supports Living Donor Em...
Last post by Clark - May 13, 2026, 05:56:32 PMhttps://www.avera.org/news-media/news/2026/living-donor-employees/
Avera Supports Living Donor Employees
Avera Health is proud to announce they have joined the Living Donor Circle of Excellence. This program, an initiative of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) celebrates employers that provide salary support to their employees who choose to be a living organ donor.
"In keeping with Avera's mission and beliefs, we uphold human dignity, protect life and promote the common good, that includes the willingness to be a living donor," said Kim Jensen, Chief Human Resources Officer at Avera. "Avera's benefits include expanded leave pay to support our employees who choose to donate."
"As a health care system that offers solid organ transplant, we know the incredible difference transplant makes in the lives of our patients," said Glen Geditz, Director of the Avera Transplant Institute.
John Gill, MD, Founder of the Living Donor Circle of Excellence said, "Living donors are heros amongst us, their gift is lifesaving for patients in need of a kidney or liver transplant and has a huge positive impact on society. Patients facing life-threatening diseases are able to live normal lives, raise their families, and participate in their communities. By supporting living organ donors, we are also building stronger communities."
Today, more than 100,000 patients are waiting for a lifesaving kidney or liver transplant. Of the transplants performed in 2021, living donors accounted for 24% of kidney transplants and 6% of liver transplants. Financial disincentives are a barrier for many potential living organ donors. Living organ donation typically includes a four- to six-week recovery period and many will use their vacation time or take unpaid absences during this period to donate.
The Circle encourages other employers to help people in need of lifesaving organ transplants. You can learn more about AST's Living Donor Circle of Excellence here.
Avera Supports Living Donor Employees
Avera Health is proud to announce they have joined the Living Donor Circle of Excellence. This program, an initiative of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) celebrates employers that provide salary support to their employees who choose to be a living organ donor.
"In keeping with Avera's mission and beliefs, we uphold human dignity, protect life and promote the common good, that includes the willingness to be a living donor," said Kim Jensen, Chief Human Resources Officer at Avera. "Avera's benefits include expanded leave pay to support our employees who choose to donate."
"As a health care system that offers solid organ transplant, we know the incredible difference transplant makes in the lives of our patients," said Glen Geditz, Director of the Avera Transplant Institute.
John Gill, MD, Founder of the Living Donor Circle of Excellence said, "Living donors are heros amongst us, their gift is lifesaving for patients in need of a kidney or liver transplant and has a huge positive impact on society. Patients facing life-threatening diseases are able to live normal lives, raise their families, and participate in their communities. By supporting living organ donors, we are also building stronger communities."
Today, more than 100,000 patients are waiting for a lifesaving kidney or liver transplant. Of the transplants performed in 2021, living donors accounted for 24% of kidney transplants and 6% of liver transplants. Financial disincentives are a barrier for many potential living organ donors. Living organ donation typically includes a four- to six-week recovery period and many will use their vacation time or take unpaid absences during this period to donate.
The Circle encourages other employers to help people in need of lifesaving organ transplants. You can learn more about AST's Living Donor Circle of Excellence here.
#18
Living Donation Forum / Re: Does Low GFR Mean CKD in L...
Last post by Clark - May 04, 2026, 11:36:14 AMAnd update, the urologist was most correct, it's appearently within natural variation and testing error. Back to 1.1. Hurrah!
#19
Living Donation Forum / May 2026 Living Organ Donor An...
Last post by Clark - May 04, 2026, 11:33:34 AMhttps://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/
Happy May, all! May the Fourth be with you! Viva Cinco de Mayo! We hope this finds you well and celebrating! So many folks this month remembering decisions made, risks faced, and outcomes lived with, including me and my recipient! We had dinner together recently and marveled at the twenty-three years since our surgeries and twenty-five years since her spouse asked my spouse to proofread an appeal letter for their congregation. We're all retired now, enjoying the successes of our children. All our lives are immeasurably richer and more meaningful for sharing the modern medical miracle of living donor transplantation.
It may be nearly seventy-five years since this surgery first succeeded, but culturally it still seems a new part of our human experience that we're still trying to figure out. Do you all feel the same way? Are you celebrating? Remembering with enduring grief? Struggling with long term complications?
Please do consider adding your own anniversary if you haven't already. Instructions are at https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/
Thirty-third anniversary:
Kay donated a kidney to her sister Penny on May 27th, 1993
Thirty-first anniversary:
Patty Mazzola donated a kidney to her father, Angelo, at MGH on May 23rd, 1995
Thirtieth anniversary:
Katy Moyer donated a kidney to her mother, Kris McCallum, on May 8th, 1996
Laura Robinson donated a kidney to her father on May 9th, 1996
Twenty-seventh anniversary:
Monique Martin donated a kidney to her niece on May 7th, 1999
Twenty-fifth anniversary:
Pauline Snyder donated part of her liver to her sister on May 2nd, 2001
Bryan Urmetz donated a kidney to his brother on May 5th, 2001
Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Paul J. Fuller donated part of his liver to his father on May 7th, 2002
Terri Craft donated a kidney to her stepfather on May 14th, 2002
Lisa Georges donated a kidney to her spouse on May 24th, 2002
Twenty-third anniversary:
Debi Ashley-Shaw donated a kidney to a friend on May 1st, 2003
Betty Minton donated a kidney to her mother on May 7th, 2003
John Hodges donated his left kidney to Margo Zelermyer on May 8th, 2003
Tina Hayman donated a kidney to her father on May 12th, 2003
Gigi Snyder donated a kidney to her son, Michael, on May 14th, 2003
Kris Wymenga donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on May 16th, 2003
Debby Rappe donated a kidney to her sister on May 21st, 2003
Dawn Chandler donated a kidney to her brother on May 28th, 2003
Twenty-second anniversary:
D. Patrick Dewey donated a kidney to his brother on May 4th, 2004
Pete Ramirez donated a kidney to his fiance, Connie Martinez, on May 4th, 2004
Twenty-first anniversary:
Helen Smunt donated a kidney to her daughter on May 2nd, 2005
Rob Halverson donated a kidney to a stranger on May 9th, 2005
Daniel Griffiths donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on May 17th, 2005
Melissa Semione donated a kidney to a stranger on May 17th, 2005
Twentieth anniversary:
Chris McDonough donated a kidney on May 4th, 2006, to a man he didn't meet until after being tested for compatibility
Christine Shedrick donated part of her liver to her sister-in-law on May 4th, 2006
Nancy Shotland donated a kidney to an unrelated person on May 4th, 2006
Julie Sutton donated a kidney to her brother on May 5th, 2006
Barbara donated a kidney to her daughter on May 11th, 2006
Brenda Joy Hubbard Oates donated a kidney to her brother, David M. Hubbard, on May 11th, 2006
Elise Romero donated a kidney to her dad on May 17th, 2006
John P. McGuinness donated a kidney to a stranger, Helen Taranto, which started a three way transfer, on May 31st, 2006
Nineteenth anniversary:
Timothy Cullen donated part of his liver to his brother on May 1st, 2007
Vicki Stronge donated a kidney to her father on May 2nd, 2007
Melanie Hall donated a kidney to her daughter on May 3rd, 2007
Joe Steward donated a kidney to a friend on May 16th, 2007
Eighteenth anniversary:
Billy donated a kidney to his mother, Anne, on May 6th, 2008
Amanda Smith donated a kidney to her aunt, Sherry Figgins, on May 9th, 2008
Jennifer Fenimore donated a kidney to her Mom on May 13th, 2008
Phillip Berry donated a kidney to a friend on May 15th, 2008
William Ransom donated a kidney to his father-in-law, Ernie Beabes, on May 15th, 2008
Steve Estlund donated a kidney to his Uncle Paul on May 21st, 2008
Seventeenth anniversary:
Laura Ranzenberger donated part of her liver to her sister, Carolyn Eversole, on May 4th, 2009
Kelly Wawrzyniakowski donated a kidney to her friend's daughter, 3 year old Mira, on May 13th, 2009
Sixteenth anniversary:
Melissa Temple donated a kidney to her aunt, Pam Libby, on May 4th, 2010
Debbie Heimlich Heffley donated a kidney to her mom on May 21st, 2010
Fifteenth anniversary:
Ann E. Parker donated a kidney to a friend, James Blank, on May 10th, 2011
Sarah donated her left kidney to younger sister, Kaylah, on May 10th, 2011
Sara George donated a kidney to her sister, Molly, on May 12th, 2011
Amy Bove donated a kidney to her little brother, Nathan Wilcox, on May 24th, 2011
Josh Perkins made a non-directed kidney donation on May 24th, 2011
Fourteenth anniversary:
Ray Nelson donated a kidney to his nephew, Zakry Miller, on May 7th, 2012
Alexandra Redenius donated a kidney to Steve Ferkau, an unrelated person, on May 8th, 2012
Peggy Fischer donated a kidney to her daughter, Breanna, on May 8th, 2012
Liz Nicholson donated a kidney to Jeff on May 10th, 2012
Vickie Garrett donated a kidney to her friend, Teresa Dixon, on May 14th, 2012
Donna Thomas donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Joe Gordon, on May 16th, 2012
Rebecca Palacio donated a kidney to her aunt on May 23rd, 2012
Thirteenth anniversary:
Martin Hubbard donated a kidney to his daughter, Karen, on May 2nd, 2013
June Irving donated a kidney to her daughter, Alison Brown, on May 15th, 2013
Cyndi Kahn donated a kidney to her friend, Luther L., on May 24th, 2013
Athena Overstreet donated a kidney to Tera O'Brien, her cousin's wife, on May 28th, 2013
Eleventh anniversary:
Estephanie Zuniga donated a kidney to her husband, Max, on May 1st, 2015
Charmin Heimer donated a kidney to her sister's husband's brother, David Hutzel, on May 19th, 2015
Christine Arnemann donated a kidney to Andi Ribera, an unrelated person, on May 20th, 2015
Tenth anniversary:
Tessa Demers donated a kidney to her best friend, Caitlyn Lambert-Hutchinson, on May 16th, 2016
Frank Hodowal donated a kidney to his wife, Wendy, on May 26th, 2016
Krista Romer-McCarthy donated a kidney to an unknown person on May 26th, 2016
https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/
Happy May, all! May the Fourth be with you! Viva Cinco de Mayo! We hope this finds you well and celebrating! So many folks this month remembering decisions made, risks faced, and outcomes lived with, including me and my recipient! We had dinner together recently and marveled at the twenty-three years since our surgeries and twenty-five years since her spouse asked my spouse to proofread an appeal letter for their congregation. We're all retired now, enjoying the successes of our children. All our lives are immeasurably richer and more meaningful for sharing the modern medical miracle of living donor transplantation.
It may be nearly seventy-five years since this surgery first succeeded, but culturally it still seems a new part of our human experience that we're still trying to figure out. Do you all feel the same way? Are you celebrating? Remembering with enduring grief? Struggling with long term complications?
Please do consider adding your own anniversary if you haven't already. Instructions are at https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/
Thirty-third anniversary:
Kay donated a kidney to her sister Penny on May 27th, 1993
Thirty-first anniversary:
Patty Mazzola donated a kidney to her father, Angelo, at MGH on May 23rd, 1995
Thirtieth anniversary:
Katy Moyer donated a kidney to her mother, Kris McCallum, on May 8th, 1996
Laura Robinson donated a kidney to her father on May 9th, 1996
Twenty-seventh anniversary:
Monique Martin donated a kidney to her niece on May 7th, 1999
Twenty-fifth anniversary:
Pauline Snyder donated part of her liver to her sister on May 2nd, 2001
Bryan Urmetz donated a kidney to his brother on May 5th, 2001
Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Paul J. Fuller donated part of his liver to his father on May 7th, 2002
Terri Craft donated a kidney to her stepfather on May 14th, 2002
Lisa Georges donated a kidney to her spouse on May 24th, 2002
Twenty-third anniversary:
Debi Ashley-Shaw donated a kidney to a friend on May 1st, 2003
Betty Minton donated a kidney to her mother on May 7th, 2003
John Hodges donated his left kidney to Margo Zelermyer on May 8th, 2003
Tina Hayman donated a kidney to her father on May 12th, 2003
Gigi Snyder donated a kidney to her son, Michael, on May 14th, 2003
Kris Wymenga donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on May 16th, 2003
Debby Rappe donated a kidney to her sister on May 21st, 2003
Dawn Chandler donated a kidney to her brother on May 28th, 2003
Twenty-second anniversary:
D. Patrick Dewey donated a kidney to his brother on May 4th, 2004
Pete Ramirez donated a kidney to his fiance, Connie Martinez, on May 4th, 2004
Twenty-first anniversary:
Helen Smunt donated a kidney to her daughter on May 2nd, 2005
Rob Halverson donated a kidney to a stranger on May 9th, 2005
Daniel Griffiths donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on May 17th, 2005
Melissa Semione donated a kidney to a stranger on May 17th, 2005
Twentieth anniversary:
Chris McDonough donated a kidney on May 4th, 2006, to a man he didn't meet until after being tested for compatibility
Christine Shedrick donated part of her liver to her sister-in-law on May 4th, 2006
Nancy Shotland donated a kidney to an unrelated person on May 4th, 2006
Julie Sutton donated a kidney to her brother on May 5th, 2006
Barbara donated a kidney to her daughter on May 11th, 2006
Brenda Joy Hubbard Oates donated a kidney to her brother, David M. Hubbard, on May 11th, 2006
Elise Romero donated a kidney to her dad on May 17th, 2006
John P. McGuinness donated a kidney to a stranger, Helen Taranto, which started a three way transfer, on May 31st, 2006
Nineteenth anniversary:
Timothy Cullen donated part of his liver to his brother on May 1st, 2007
Vicki Stronge donated a kidney to her father on May 2nd, 2007
Melanie Hall donated a kidney to her daughter on May 3rd, 2007
Joe Steward donated a kidney to a friend on May 16th, 2007
Eighteenth anniversary:
Billy donated a kidney to his mother, Anne, on May 6th, 2008
Amanda Smith donated a kidney to her aunt, Sherry Figgins, on May 9th, 2008
Jennifer Fenimore donated a kidney to her Mom on May 13th, 2008
Phillip Berry donated a kidney to a friend on May 15th, 2008
William Ransom donated a kidney to his father-in-law, Ernie Beabes, on May 15th, 2008
Steve Estlund donated a kidney to his Uncle Paul on May 21st, 2008
Seventeenth anniversary:
Laura Ranzenberger donated part of her liver to her sister, Carolyn Eversole, on May 4th, 2009
Kelly Wawrzyniakowski donated a kidney to her friend's daughter, 3 year old Mira, on May 13th, 2009
Sixteenth anniversary:
Melissa Temple donated a kidney to her aunt, Pam Libby, on May 4th, 2010
Debbie Heimlich Heffley donated a kidney to her mom on May 21st, 2010
Fifteenth anniversary:
Ann E. Parker donated a kidney to a friend, James Blank, on May 10th, 2011
Sarah donated her left kidney to younger sister, Kaylah, on May 10th, 2011
Sara George donated a kidney to her sister, Molly, on May 12th, 2011
Amy Bove donated a kidney to her little brother, Nathan Wilcox, on May 24th, 2011
Josh Perkins made a non-directed kidney donation on May 24th, 2011
Fourteenth anniversary:
Ray Nelson donated a kidney to his nephew, Zakry Miller, on May 7th, 2012
Alexandra Redenius donated a kidney to Steve Ferkau, an unrelated person, on May 8th, 2012
Peggy Fischer donated a kidney to her daughter, Breanna, on May 8th, 2012
Liz Nicholson donated a kidney to Jeff on May 10th, 2012
Vickie Garrett donated a kidney to her friend, Teresa Dixon, on May 14th, 2012
Donna Thomas donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Joe Gordon, on May 16th, 2012
Rebecca Palacio donated a kidney to her aunt on May 23rd, 2012
Thirteenth anniversary:
Martin Hubbard donated a kidney to his daughter, Karen, on May 2nd, 2013
June Irving donated a kidney to her daughter, Alison Brown, on May 15th, 2013
Cyndi Kahn donated a kidney to her friend, Luther L., on May 24th, 2013
Athena Overstreet donated a kidney to Tera O'Brien, her cousin's wife, on May 28th, 2013
Eleventh anniversary:
Estephanie Zuniga donated a kidney to her husband, Max, on May 1st, 2015
Charmin Heimer donated a kidney to her sister's husband's brother, David Hutzel, on May 19th, 2015
Christine Arnemann donated a kidney to Andi Ribera, an unrelated person, on May 20th, 2015
Tenth anniversary:
Tessa Demers donated a kidney to her best friend, Caitlyn Lambert-Hutchinson, on May 16th, 2016
Frank Hodowal donated a kidney to his wife, Wendy, on May 26th, 2016
Krista Romer-McCarthy donated a kidney to an unknown person on May 26th, 2016
https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/
#20
Living Donation Forum / 30 minute documentary followin...
Last post by Eleanor - April 20, 2026, 03:56:32 PMBelow is a link to a 30-minute documentary ('A Perfect Gift') that my husband and I produced. The film features our close friend, Andy (a 40 year old man from England), who asked my husband to support him in his attempt to donate his kidney to Rich, a man in his 60's from the U.S., suffering from stage-four kidney disease.
The film follows Andy and Rich before, during and after their donation, providing an important window into the journey of a living donor and their recipient as they navigate the process of a gift-of-life transplant.
Please take a moment to watch it, and share it with your friends and contacts so that more people become aware of what being a donor can mean for people in need. Many more people die from kidney failure than is necessary. We can impact those statistics.
https://youtu.be/TVqyl006PLY
The film follows Andy and Rich before, during and after their donation, providing an important window into the journey of a living donor and their recipient as they navigate the process of a gift-of-life transplant.
Please take a moment to watch it, and share it with your friends and contacts so that more people become aware of what being a donor can mean for people in need. Many more people die from kidney failure than is necessary. We can impact those statistics.
https://youtu.be/TVqyl006PLY