January 2025 Living Organ Donor Anniversaries!

[Clark]

Better late than never, I hope! Though with the distinct drop off in submissions pretty clearly about a decade ago, I’m beginning to wonder. If you’re moved to do so, please add yours at https://livingdonorsonline.org/donor-experiences/donation-anniversaries/.

This month I find myself wondering about these folks so many years on. How are they? Are they all happy and healthy? What of Joan and her brother, 45 years on? Damien, now 30+ years old? And his grandmother, Wanda? What about Michael’s brother, and both their families, 23 years on? How is Dawn holding up 20 years on, and Laura, 16 years on? Sara’s unknown recipient would have turned 18 this past year, have they met? Corresponded?

Any thoughts on why no January anniversary submissions in the past five years? And just two in the past ten? Do you enjoy seeing these? Hundreds come to see them.

Best wishes all!


Forty-fifth anniversary:
Joan Ray donated a kidney to her brother on January 19th, 1980

Thirty-eighth anniversary:
Mike Rocheteau (since deceased) donated a kidney to his brother on January 8th, 1987

Thirtieth anniversary:
Wanda Christensen donated a kidney to her grandson, Damien Klemz, on January 5th, 1995
Darlene donated a kidney to her cousin, Yancy, on January 16th, 1995

Twenty-seventh anniversary:
Donna Lundberg donated a kidney to her mother on January 11th, 1998

Twenty-sixth anniversary:
Pat McDonough donated a kidney to her brother on January 13th, 1999

Twenty-fifth anniversary:
Cynthia Goldner donated a kidney to her cousin, Sukie Miller, on January 5th, 2000
Candice Ellington donated part of her liver to her husband on January 10th, 2000
Charity Wells donated a kidney to her sister, Carrie, on January 11th, 2000
Naomi donated a kidney to a coworker on January 31st, 2000

Twenty-fourth anniversary:
Catherine Cullen donated a kidney to her mother (since deceased) on January 4th, 2001
Thomas Busch donated a kidney to his former girlfriend, Dawn Meschi, on January 10th, 2001
Carol Meyer and her husband donated lung lobes to their daughter (since deceased) on January 16th, 2001
Carolyn Miller donated a kidney to her husband on January 31st, 2001

Twenty-third anniversary:
Aileen Sperber donated a kidney to her husband on January 3rd, 2002
Michael Hurewitz (deceased in the peri-operative period) donated part of his liver to his brother on January 13th, 2002
Nathan Bishop donated part of his liver to his brother-in-law's brother on January 25th, 2002
Ray Madden donated a kidney to his wife on January 29th, 2002

Twenty-second anniversary:
Gina donated a kidney to her brother-in-law on January 7th, 2003
David Harper donated a kidney to a stranger on January 8th, 2003
Brenda donated a kidney to her father on January 10th, 2003
Aya Manalo Hufana donated a kidney to her sister on January 11th, 2003
Lisa L Henderson donated a kidney to an unrelated person on January 26th, 2003

Twenty-first anniversary:
Jodi Phelan donated part of her liver to her daughter on January 5th, 2004
Regan M Gamble donated a kidney to her mother, Danielle, on January 14th, 2004
Jason York donated part of his liver to the daughter of an alumnus from his high school on January 17th, 2004
Luke donated a kidney to his best friend on January 21st, 2004

Twentieth anniversary:
Dawn donated a kidney to an unrelated person (since deceased) on January 6th, 2005
Bob Bucsh donated a kidney to his sister on January 12th, 2005
Taj "T-Bone" Hudson donated a kidney to a friend on January 12th, 2005
Amanda Zoneraich donated a kidney to her father on January 25th, 2005
Barb donated a kidney to an unrelated recipient on January 25th, 2005

Nineteenth anniversary:
Nancy Ferrauilo donated a kidney to her husband on January 5th, 2006
Carin O'Brien donated a kidney to her father on January 25th, 2006

Eighteenth anniversary:
Kebra donated a kidney to her husband on January 2nd, 2007
Jaime Burhite donated a kidney to her older brother, Jason, on January 4th, 2007
Cynthia Tindongan donated a kidney to a stranger on January 10th, 2007
Jeff Eddy donated a kidney to his father on January 16th, 2007
Patrice Smith donated a kidney to Jenna Franks, an unrelated person found on LDO, on January 16th, 2007
Erica Gomez donated a kidney to her father on January 18th, 2007
Bassy Gottesman donated a kidney to her husband, Yehuda, on January 23rd, 2007
Frances Byrdin donated a kidney to her father on January 23rd, 2007
Kevin Kenney donated a kidney to a friend on January 24th, 2007
John Dennis donated a kidney to his father on January 25th, 2007
Adrienne P. donated a kidney to a stranger on January 29th, 2007

Seventeenth anniversary:
Sara Kaiser donated part of her liver to an 18 month old stranger on January 4th, 2008
Evan Brooks donated a kidney to his brother, Jim, on January 8th, 2008
Nancy McAbee donated a kidney to her brother, Dan Williams, on January 8th, 2008
Audrey donated a kidney to her husband's cousin on January 10th, 2008
Elizabeth Samstag donated a part of her liver to her friend, Dan Zenger, on January 17th, 2008
Kelly Harris donated a kidney to Greg on January 18th, 2008
April Zona Garcia donated a kidney to her mother, Gloria Tompkins, on January 31st, 2008

Sixteenth anniversary:
Janet Hinson donated a kidney to her brother on January 8th, 2009
Miriam donated a kidney to her long time friend, Bob, on January 9th, 2009
Teri Garber George donated a kidney to her boss of 20 years on January 9th, 2009
Laura Rivas donated a kidney to her best friend, Victor Rodriguez, on January 15th, 2009. She's sad he didn't survive to celebrate their first kidneyversary, but glad she tried to help.
Janet Hurley donated a kidney to her adult son Michael Hurley on January 22, 2009. Michael died on February 5, 2024 with his donated kidney still working after 56 rounds of chemotherapy
Celia donated a kidney to her uncle on January 26th, 2009
Teresa Wharton donated her left kidney to her Dad on January 28th, 2009
Kimberly Johnson donated a kidney, the first woman to do so vaginally, to her niece, Jennifer Gilbert, on January 29th, 2009
Lisa Poulsen donated a kidney to her step-dad on January 30th, 2009

Fifteenth anniversary:
Becky Sullivan made a non-directed kidney donation on January 6th, 2010
Craig Stieben donated a kidney to his girlfriend on January 7th, 2010
Bonnie Parr donated a kidney to her brother, Wayne Sheets, on January 8th, 2010
Laura Linton donated a kidney to her sister, Tina Sammon, on January 15th, 2010
John Galvin donated a kidney to his best friend on January 19th, 2010
Sandy Picanzo donated a kidney to her sister, Joan, on January 26th, 2010
Tina DelGuidice donated a kidney to an unrelated person, Edward J. Guenkel, on January 28th, 2010

Fourteenth anniversary:
Christine Archer donated a kidney to her great uncle, Arnold Strong, on January 11th, 2011
Morgan Davis became a kidney donor on January 11th, 2011
Paul Carlson donated a kidney to his sister, Barbara West, on January 24th, 2011

Thirteenth anniversary:
Karen L Michul donated a kidney to her friend, Matthew Jones, on January 9th, 2012
Sharon Irey donated a kidney to her son, William, on January 18th, 2012
Kelly Gray Kablick donated part of her liver to her Mom on January 24th, 2012

Twelfth anniversary:
Marisa de la Garza donated a kidney to her mother, Silvia de la Garza Bassett, on January 9th, 2013
Stephanie DuBose Reeves donated a kidney to her best friend on January 9th, 2013
James Franks donated a kidney to Melinda Cagle Sanders, a school friend, on January 17th, 2013
Renae Myers Waters donated a kidney to her husband on January 22nd, 2013
Rosie Mariani donated a kidney to her best friend, Tammy, on January 31st, 2013

Eleventh anniversary:
Debbi Stapleton donated a kidney to Olga Gauthier on January 6th, 2014
Zoe McKeith donated a kidney to her mother-in-law, Kim Causer, on January 7th, 2014
Denise Hunter donated a kidney to her friend's nephew, Conley Tucker, on January 10th, 2014
Jennifer Sutton donated a kidney to her friend, Angela Braga, on January 10th, 2014
Howard Lobel donated a kidney to his cousin, Stevi Paul, on January 14th, 2014

Tenth anniversary:
Joshua Wise donated a kidney to his friend, Stephen Johns, on January 8th, 2015
Joann Nolan donated a kidney to her father, Virgil, on January, 9th, 2015
Deanah Weigelt-Genuario donated a kidney to her aunt, Peggyann Street, on January 20th, 2015
Debbie Vitatoe donated a kidney to her son, Toby, on January 21st, 2015

Seventh anniversary:
Nadia Brown donated a kidney to her father, Timothy Brown, on January 22nd 2018

Fifth anniversary:
Ivana Berrera donated part of her liver to her mother, Edna, on January 14th, 2020

[tjhurley]

I'm Janet Hurley, I donated to my adult son Michael, on January 22nd. Michael and I did not celebrate a 16th anniversary. Michael died of complications from metastatic colorectal cancer (brain, bone and lung metastasis) on February 5th, 2024 at the age of 42.  Mike was only 27 when he received my kidney. His colorectal cancer was most likely related to his immunosuppressive regime. He never regretted receiving the kidney, he did regret that his early colorectal symptoms were ignored as they often are for younger people. Hopefully, this will change for kidney transplant patients in the future.  Mike's kidney performed well through 56 rounds of chemotherapy. He participated in a research trial that was highly successful. He was so pleased that he could contribute to cancer research that would help other kidney recipients in the future.  He battled cancer for 4 years. We were so proud of him always, his kidney never let him down.  His older brother had received a kidney from his dad (my husband) in 2002 and they are both doing great.

[Clark]

Dear Janet,


  Thank you so much for giving us this news, heartbreaking as it is. I'm sure I speak form many that your loss must be so very hard to bear. You describe Michael in loving terms, taking understandable pride in his volunteering for a research trial. It's heartening to hear your gift enabled him to cope with so many rounds of chemotherapy. Best wishes to you and yours.


  Would you like us to update the text in our calendar listing for your donation? Or, if you would prefer, we could just have it stop appearing after 2024. Whatever you wish. Your current text is "Janet Hurley donated a kidney to her adult child on January 22nd, 2009." True, but not capturing critical details? Take your time, and please feel welcome to private message or use the calendar communication link if you prefer to wordsmith out of public scruntiny. Take good care.

[tjhurley]

Thanks so much for being so kind.

Before we had left Michael's name off the anniversary list because he was a private person.  I think it would be nice if it read:

"Janet Hurley donated a kidney to her adult son Michael Hurley on January 22, 2009. Michael died on February 5, 2024 with his donated kidney still working after 56 rounds of chemotherapy"
 
Would that be too long?

[Clark]

Not at all! Rewriting now!