Donor
Were you a directed or non-directed donor?
I was a non-directed donor at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago in August 2017. I love hearing donor stories - what led you to donate? who did you donate to? where did you donate? what do you wish you had known before you donated?
TransplantLyfe Favorite
-
I'm a recipient (2X, my first transplant was a directed donation from my brother, which failed almost immediately and I was re-transplanted a few days later from a deceased donor) but when I was searching for donors, my story did inspire a family friend of ours to donate. She initially tried to be my donor, wasn't a match and then proceeded with donation and did non-directed. I know she's been in contact with her recipient family, that part of her liver went to a little boy in our province, and they're both doing well.
My brother who was my living donor (we both had a bit of a rocky situation) is also doing great, currently studying abroad in his final year of college
1 - 5 of 5 Other Answers
I'm also an organ recipient, but I love these stories. I'd love to hear yours @TerriT
I responded to a Facebook post about a little boy in KY who needed a kidney. I went through all of the testing, was approved, and surgery was scheduled. However, while waiting, he receieved a deceased donor kidney. I never met his family, so I'm not certain about the details of why they proceeded with the deceased donor kidney. I still felt compelled to donate, so I transferred to a transplant center closer to him and proceeded as a non-directed donor. There were 3 donors and 3 recipients at Loyola on the day I donated. We all met at a press conferenced hosted by the hospital 3 months after surgery. We all just celebrated our 5-year anniversary!
@TerriT oh my goodness! That’s such an amazing story. I’m grateful for people like you. I wish I could be the one to donate, rather than the one who needed a kidney. But I am grateful for my incredible gift. 💕
I was a directed donor. To my infant son who was born with Biliary Atresia and after having a failed Kasai procedure was listed for transplant. We basically begged his liver team to make living donation an option for us as both Dad and I were willing and able. And I know we'd both do it again in a heart beat. Nothing is better than watching a sick little baby take on new life when their organs are functioning as they should.