Recipient

I was 17 when I received my transplant, only a few days away from an appointment to begin dialysis treatment. I had a condition called Hyperoxaluria that was found when I was only a toddler. With this condition, my liver overproduced oxalate that built up in my kidney and produced kidney stones.

For as long as I remember, I was on a strict regimen of medications every four hours, four times a day. Once the doctors decided that my kidney was deteriorating too much, they put me on the organs waiting list and scheduled me for dialysis. My appointment to get my dialysis shunt was for a Monday, and two days before, on a Saturday, the hospital called me with the news of a possible donor, and I received the gift of life from a young man who had passed away, and my life was saved because of my donor.

I have always thought of my transplant as the ultimate blessing in my life but recently, was blessed again with a beautiful baby girl on May 18, 2017. Before, I was not sure this would ever happen to me, because of my medical conditions. I am beyond grateful for my donor family’s decision to donate life to me, and now for my daughter.

Since then, I try to merge my gratitude into my daily life. Now, I work as a nurse in the hopes of making my patients feel comfortable and at ease, like many of my nurses did for me throughout my medical journey. Also, I volunteer with Make-A-Wish granting wishes to young children with life-threatening illnesses, and with Life Alliance sharing my story and spreading awareness of the organ donation process. I hope that my story will enlighten many to consider being an organ donor.