My name is Laurie. I am 50 years of age. I donated a kidney at Tampa General Hospital in May of 2016 to Larry, an old high school friend of my husband. They lost touch for 45 years and Larry friend requested my husband on Facebook, and they met up. I met Larry and found out he needed a kidney. I am an organ donor on my driver’s license and I always have wondered, “What will they use from me to help someone in need?”
I thought long and hard about it. I am a “snow bird,” so did my research to see how it would change my life, and learned I would be just fine. So when we returned to Florida in the fall of 2015, I asked Larry if I could be tested. He was sure surprised – a feather would have knocked him over!
So I must say surgery went well. Larry is doing great and I’m rocking 1 kidney by walking an average of 12 miles a week. I enjoy cooking and the many blessings of family and friends. I would like to find out how I can join a donor group. We all have that rocking 1 kidney in common to raise awareness.
Thanks for passing along your wonderful experience, Laurie. The fact that you did your research before proceeding is important, and as you know firsthand, it showed the strong likelihood of a positive outcome for both donor and recipient. And that’s how it worked out — great!