POLL: Who was your kidney donor?

[okarol]

Vote once please.

[monrein]

My cadaver kidney came from a 17 year old girl in London Ontario who died from a sudden brain hemorrhage.  The kidney was never perfused on a machine which was pretty common back then but was just iced.  I was called at midnight on a Saturday just as she was being declared brain dead and I was transplanted at 6:00am the following morning.  That was in January, 1985.  When they eventually remove it I'm hoping they'll let me have it so I can honour my donor and her family by giving it a proper burial and saying my final thank you.  I know nothing else about my donor except her age, location and  the cause of her death.  I've always wished I could have met her family but that was just not done at that time.

[spacezombie]

From the time I first learned of my kidney disease at three years old, my mom has been telling me she would be my donor. She donated to me in 1997 and has told me that she has always been thrilled to be able to help me. She wanted to donate her other kidney to me when the first one failed but of course, the doctors and I would not allow that. I had seven GREAT years from that kidney. I traveled and did amazing things. I feel a lot of guilt, however, since it was my mom's kidney. I always think about different scenarios in my head where I might have done something differently and not lost the kidney. Part of why I lost it was because I lost my job (and insurance) and couldn't always afford the medication. :/

[Laurie]

I think my donor was a 49 year old Male, but I'm not excatly sure. Everyone I asked wasn't sure and were supposed to check on it, but didn't.
I go to my first clinic on Monday, so I will ask again.

[st789]

Sorry about the cause of your failed kidney transplant spacezombie.  Many kidney transplant patients feel the same way.

[donnia]

Sorry about the cause of your failed kidney transplant spacezombie.  Many kidney transplant patients feel the same way.

Yes, and it is a shame that we even have to worry about that.

[Chris]

This weekend I was going thru my files and shredding old documents I no longer needed. I ran across a letter from the Gift of Hope that I never opened. It was from the mother of my donor, written in 2002. No idea why I didn't open it, but now I question myself, should I write back?

[okarol]

This weekend I was going thru my files and shredding old documents I no longer needed. I ran across a letter from the Gift of Hope that I never opened. It was from the mother of my donor, written in 2002. No idea why I didn't open it, but now I question mysel, should I write back?

If I were that mom I would be most grateful to know the good the donation did.

[Chris]

According to the letter, I did contact her. I just don't remember it and if I have the file, it's on an old 3.5" disk I have no access too.

[Romona]

I would write if you feel comfortable.

[monrein]

I would write her for sure and if you did already that's OK, I bet she'd appreciate a little update.  It is sad that she had to lose her son for you to gain a kidney but it really is something wonderful coming out of something tragic and that Mom is actually responsible for the gift as she could have said no and that would have been that.  Instead she did the right thing and a person can never hear that enough times.
I wish I had the chance to tell my donor's parents how much their daughter's kidney gave to me.

[MIbarra]

I had a cadaver donor. They told me he was in his fifties and lived in Baton Rouge.

[KT0930]

First one, in 1982, came from Mom.

Second one, in 2002, came from Dad.

Third one, in 2008, came from cadaveric donor. All I've been told so far is the donor was a 35 year old male in Oklahoma (and I'm in Georgia).

[Chris]

I'm gonna try to write a letter after I have knee surgery Tuesday since I will have some time to look up the criteria of writing a letter from the Gift of Hope website.

[donnia]

Joyce, my donor, is living - non - related.  She and I have been friends since 3rd grade.  She is my inspiration.

[keith]

my kidney came from a young lady that was murdered in that shooting that happend a Lil over six months ago da shooting in a mall ( is that y my sense are almost 5- 8 times better than b4)

[Sunny]

Wow! I am amazed at these stories.
If they only knew how much their gift, even if so untimely for them, has meant to you.
If more people knew the very real stories talked about here, I think it would really motivate people to be cadaver donors.

[willieandwinnie]

Len's kidney came from a 40 year old male from Houston Texas and we are in Maryland. It is a very sad story of his death and I have written the donor family to tell them how much WE appreciate what they did.

[MIbarra]

This is probably in some other post, but I've been looking online and can't find an answer...

How were you able to write your donor's family? I found a website for recipients to write their donors in Illinois, but I live in Texas and my donor lived in Lousiana. I can't find any info on how to go about this.

[Chris]

This is probably in some other post, but I've been looking online and can't find an answer...

How were you able to write your donor's family? I found a website for recipients to write their donors in Illinois, but I live in Texas and my donor lived in Lousiana. I can't find any info on how to go about this.

Was it the Gift of Hope you tried?
Not sure if UNOS can recommend who to write though, but one place might worth trying is the transplant center who did your surgery.

[MIbarra]

It was the gift of hope in Illinois that I found.

I didn't really want to use the transplant center where I had the transplant because I wasn't really impressed in the end with them. But I guess I will as a last result.

[kidneyx3]

My kidney came from a member from my church/my sons' classmates' mother. She saw in the church bulletin that I needed a kidney. She looked over at her husband and said I need to get tested because I know I'm a match for her and this is what I need to do. Sure enough she went to get tested and she was almost a perfect match. God works in mysterious ways.

[MyRenalRomance]

  My donor was my absolutely wonderful younger brother (and only sibling).  The transplant took place on June 20, 2008.   

[Chris]

Congratulations 

[pelagia]

My kidney came from a member from my church/my sons' classmates' mother. She saw in the church bulletin that I needed a kidney. She looked over at her husband and said I need to get tested because I know I'm a match for her and this is what I need to do. Sure enough she went to get tested and she was almost a perfect match. God works in mysterious ways.

My sister's husband ended up being my husband's donor.  A number of people were tested, but Michael said he that he "knew from the beginning" that he was going to be the donor.  We didn't even know that he was tested until a couple of months later.  He called us on my birthday, which makes that the most amazing birthday I have ever had.