We are a hopeful lot, aren’t we? Hope that our actions can make a difference, as so few opportunities in this life so allow us to think. Lives are changed by what we attempt, directly, radically, one by one, and massively through family, friends, and media stories. There are the sad notes to remember this month, as always, but even they, before the event, were brought about with hope on all sides.
Take care wherever this August 2023 finds you, whatever your circumstances. Twenty years ago, when I donated a kidney to an acquaintance, my one daughter had just had her thirteenth birthday. Now she’s the eldest of three, and made me Grandpa JoJo. I never dared hope for the joy my life now brings me.
Every one of these folks have their own stories of family, love, friends, acquaintances, and folks literally unknown, never met, never likely to meet. Though I did once meet someone who had donated after reading the Newsweek article about my donation…
Best wishes, all!
Fifty-sixth anniversary:
Theodore Charles Lombard donated a kidney to his daughter on August 30th, 1967
Forty-third anniversary:
Julie Edmonds donated a kidney to her sister, Susan Martin, on August 21st, 1980
Thirty-first anniversary:
Patrick M. Emmett donated a kidney to his ex-wife on August 28th, 1992
Twenty-ninth anniversary:
Donna Luebke donated a kidney to her sister on August 26th, 1994
Twenty-fifth anniversary:
Michael McGhee donated a kidney to his son, Michael, on August 25th, 1998
Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Lisa Weisenberger donated a kidney to her brother, Chad, on August 5th, 1999
Twenty-third anniversary:
Rita Kocian (deceased 2/12/04) donated a kidney to her mother in August, 2000
Ellen donated part of her liver to her cousin on August 8th, 2000
Laurie donated part of her liver to her cousin on August 8th, 2000
Walter E Kitter donated a kidney to his friend, Roger Kohlhoff, on August 21st, 2000
Myron Thirtle donated a kidney to his father on August 31st, 2000. His father survived 10 years until succumbing to cancer in 2010
Twenty-second anniversary:
Katherine Coe donated a kidney to a friend on August 8th, 2001
Twenty-first anniversary:
Kristin Barnes donated part of her liver to her father on August 29th, 2002
Twentieth anniversary:
Chuck Swartout donated part of his liver to his stepsister on August 5th, 2003
Julie donated a kidney to her brother on August 20th, 2003
Bruce Dobben donated a kidney to a friend on August 27th, 2003
Kevin Rodgers donated a kidney to a friend on August 29th, 2003
Nineteenth anniversary:
Carolyn Ambrose donated a kidney to her husband on August 4th, 2004
Ana Mora donated a kidney to her cousin on August 7th, 2004
Jennifer Leigh McGuinn donated a kidney to her father on August 10th, 2004
Michele Moeller donated a kidney and bone marrow to an unrelated person she found on LDO! on August 10th, 2004
Alfonso Gaspar became a bone marrow donor to a young child on August 12th, 2004
Jayne Kavanagh donated bone marrow to an internationally matched recipient on August 12th, 2004
Amber D. Murray donated a kidney to her brother on August 17th, 2004
Eighteenth anniversary:
Amber Allen donated a kidney to her cousin on August 9th, 2005
Amber Billings donated a kidney to her cousin on August 10th, 2005
Janet Saulter-Hemmer donated a kidney to her friend, Jim Morgenland, on August 18th, 2005
Seventeenth anniversary:
Jennifer donated a kidney to her father on August 1st, 2006
Ruth Spang donated a kidney to her father, James, on August 3rd, 2006
Lana J. James donated a kidney to her cousin on August 30th, 2006
Sixteenth anniversary:
Tammy Pigion donated part of her liver to her son on August 2nd, 2007
Melanie Hubbard donated a kidney to her friend, Dale Nix, on August 10th, 2007
Amy Covert donated a kidney to a friend on August 15th, 2007
Marsha Moran donated a kidney to her spouse, James, on August 15th, 2007
Matthew Lynette donated a kidney to his brother, Andrew, on August 15th, 2007
Katherine Howe donated part of her liver to her husband, David, on August 20th, 2007
Fifteenth anniversary:
Melissa Swanson donated a kidney to a stranger met on LDO on August 5th, 2008
Marybeth Marshall donated a kidney to her brother on August 12th, 2008
John Tran donated part of his liver to his wife, Christine, on August 14th, 2008
Lonnie Howell donated a kidney to a stranger who had become a close friend by the time of donation on August 19th, 2008
Kayla Asher donated a kidney to her cousin, Julie Mitchell, on August 20th, 2008
Dominion Giventer gave part of his liver to his 1 year old nephew on August 29th, 2008
Fourteenth anniversary:
Marian Mamayek donated a kidney to her friend, Sharlene Bender, on August 6th, 2009
Tania Eggleston donated a kidney to her Dad on August 11th, 2009
Carleen Dickerson donated a kidney to her cousin on August 12th, 2009
Patricia Roussin donated a kidney to Anthony Lopez, an unrelated person, on August 12th, 2009
Rabbi Ephraim Simon donated a kidney to a stranger on August 13th, 2009
Lessa Ennis donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Lee Kingery, on August 25th, 2009
Patti Bartlett donated a kidney to her brother, Mark Manwar, on August 26th, 2009
Thirteenth anniversary:
Samantha Perouty donated her left kidney to her uncle on August 2nd, 2010
Stacie Brane donated a kidney to her sister, Kristie Goade, on August 12th, 2010
Twelfth anniversary:
Avis Lynch donated a kidney to her mother, Winnetta F. Guthrie, on August 10th, 2011
John made a non-directed kidney donation on August 11th, 2011
Rick made a non-directed kidney donation that started an open chain with 17 donor-recipient pairs so far on August 15th, 2011
David Lieu donated a kidney to his twin brother, Michael, on August 23rd, 2011
Jodi Dykstra donated a kidney to her father on August 23rd, 2011
Melinda Stern donated a kidney to her sister, Kristine Brenneman on August 31st, 2011
Eleventh anniversary:
Cathy May donated a kidney to her friend, Amy Gray Light, on August 16th, 2012
Jennifer Ross made a non-directed kidney donation on August 16th, 2012
Jeannette Myers-Whitney donated a kidney to a stranger on August 23rd, 2012, as a paired donation to benefit her husband, Rod
Kim Merrell made an anonymous, non-directed kidney donation on August 30th, 2012
Tenth anniversary:
Margaret Koppelman donated a kidney on August 7th, 2013
Linda donated a kidney to Priscilla's mom, Karen, on August 16th, 2013
Ninth anniversary:
Joshua Davies donated a kidney anonymously on August 8th, 2014
Corey Zaretsky donated a kidney to his brother, Matthew, on August 14th, 2014
Eighth anniversary:
Elle Gillum donated part of her liver to her dad, Dean Toney, on August 12th, 2015
Seventh anniversary:
Diana Castillo donated a kidney to her friend, German Alech, on August 31st, 2016
Fifth anniversary:
Danielle DiMartino donated a kidney to a stranger on August 2nd, 2018
Kelly Thoele donated a kidney to Minh Le, the fiancé of a former employee on August 23rd, 2018
Third anniversary:
Annette donated a kidney to Hailey, her future daughter-in-law, on August 22, 2020