Let’s explore transplant together
Welcome! Congratulations on deciding to learn more about kidney transplant and living donation. Whether you are a patient, family member, friend, potential donor, or healthcare provider, we are here to help.
Explore Transplant is a national consortium of leading experts in transplant, health literacy, and research. Our commitment is to provide you with the best education and decision-making tools available.
Latest news
🌟 “I wanted my uncle to live.” 🌟
25 years ago, Angela made a life-changing decision—she donated a kidney to her uncle. She was just 36, full of questions and concerns. But after learning more, she felt at peace knowing her health came first.
Today, she’s living proof that living donation saves lives—and you can still live yours to the fullest after. From working through recovery to inspiring strangers across the country, Angela’s story is one of love, strength, and education.
💚 Watch and listen to Angela’s inspiring journey of healing, advocacy, and impact. Let her story show you what’s possible. livingdonationstories.org/videos/angela-living-kidney-donor/
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#LivingDonor #OrganDonation #DonateLife #KidneyDonation #TransplantStrong #BlackHealthMatters #StorytellingForChange #25YearsStrong #InspiringStories #HealingJourney
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💚 Meet Puja: A Daughter’s Gift of Life 💚
“My name is Puja, and donating a kidney to help save my mom’s life through a paired donation was the easiest decision I’ve ever made.” 🙌
After years of watching her mom battle kidney failure and dialysis, Puja stepped forward when no direct match was available. Her selfless act gave two people a second chance at life—and she says recovery was “quick, easy, and so worth it.”
💬 “Some days I even forget I donated a kidney—life is just that normal and wonderful after donation.”
🎥 Watch Puja’s inspiring story of love, strength, and the life-changing power of living donation: Puja | Kidney Donor
💫 Like, share, and help spread the word about this beautiful journey!
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#KidneyDonation #LivingDonor #PairedDonation #GiftOfLife #DonateLife #TransplantStrong #WomenInMedicine #FamilyFirst #KidneyHealth #PujasStory #BeTheGift #OrganDonationAwareness #CKD #Kidneyfailure #Organdonation #transplantation #savinglives
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🌟 The Patient Engagement Research Lab at Houston Methodist was proud to present at the 2025 NKF Spring Clinical Meetings! 🌟
As NKF’s premier event for kidney care professionals, the Spring Clinical Meetings offered an incredible platform for our team to share innovations in education, research, and patient-centered care in nephrology.
🧠 Our Presenters & Topics:
🎥 Catherine Pulicken – Evaluating the impact of an animated Kidney Paired Donation video series
🗣️ Thomas Potter – Exploring risk perception gaps in Black patients with CKD
🤝 Haley Jensen (NKF) – Identifying barriers & support needs for potential living donors
My Kidney Transplant and Paired Donation Coach is a ten-episode animated video series that was developed to present the risks and benefits of KPD as characters consider transplant/donation.
To learn more about My Kidney Transplant & Paired Donation Coach, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9oDe_k1UQQ&list=PL5Q6ZzhhASkd34JhA1-w1-7Nm04NnBHY6
Together, we’re working to empower patients, support living donation, and promote health equity in kidney care. 💚
📣 Stay tuned as we continue driving change in kidney health through collaboration, compassion, and innovation.
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#NKFSCM2025 #KidneyHealth #TransplantEducation #LivingDonation #HealthEquity #CKDAwareness #PatientEngagement #HoustonMethodist #NephrologyInnovation #KPD #ChronicKidneyDisease #HRSAgov
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🌟 Meet Carlos: A Story of Strength, Hope & the Gift of Life 🌟
Two years ago, Carlos received a life-changing kidney transplant—a gift from an unexpected hero, an ex-coworker of his wife. Before his transplant, living with kidney disease and failure was a daily struggle. He faced the mental and physical toll of his condition, the challenges of dialysis, and the heartbreak of not being able to fully support his wife and newborn.
💙 Today, thanks to his living donor, Carlos has a second chance at life. His journey is a testament to the power of organ donation and the hope it brings.
📢 Listen to Carlos' inspiring story, share his journey, and help spread awareness about the importance of living kidney donation! Together, we can give more people the gift of life. livingdonationstories.org/videos/carlos-kidney-recipient/
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#CarlosTransplantStory #DonateLife #LivingDonorHero #SecondChanceAtLife #TransplantHope #KidneyWarrior #BeTheGift #ShareHisStory
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👩⚕️ Meet Dr. Stephanie Yi: Surgeon, Researcher, Advocate for Equity in Transplantation 👩⚕️
Dr. Stephanie Yi is a kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon at Houston Methodist and a dedicated member of the Patient Engagement Research Lab (PE Lab). Her passion? Bridging clinical care and research to advance health equity in transplantation. 💚
From mentoring future surgeons to leading projects on improving access for Asian American patients, Dr. Yi’s partnership with the PE Lab is transforming how we deliver care. She values the lab’s storytelling approach and collaborative spirit—ensuring patients’ voices are central to the research we do.
🎯 Want to hear how she’s shaping the future of transplant care?
📖 Read Dr. Yi’s full story here: Dr. Stephanie Yi: Advancing Transplant Surgery and Health Equity Through Research
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Or visit our website at Explore Transplant under Transplant News
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#TransplantSurgery #HealthEquity #KidneyTransplant #WomenInMedicine #ResearchMatters #PatientEngagement #TransplantInnovation #PELab #HoustonMethodist #MeetTheTeam
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🌟 Join Us for "The Gift of Life" Panel Discussion! 🌟
Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 17, from 4–6 PM at The Health Museum for a powerful and FREE community event about the impact of organ donation! 💙💚
The Patient Engagement Research Lab is proud to collaborate with The Health Museum, The Living Bank, Nora's Home, and LifeGift to bring this important discussion to the public. Come hear from medical experts, donor families, and organ donors as they share their inspiring stories and insights on the lifesaving power The Patient Engagement Research Lab is proud to collaborate with The Health Museum, The Living Bank, Nora's Home, and LifeGift to bring this important discussion to the public. Come hear from medical experts, donor families, and organ donors as they share their inspiring stories and insights on the lifesaving power of transplantation.
To learn more about this event visit: thehealthmuseum.org/events/donatelife/
📍 Where: The Health Museum
📅 When: Thursday, April 17 | 4–6 PM
💰 Cost: FREE & Open to the Public!
Be part of the conversation. Learn, get inspired, and discover how YOU can make a difference! 🙌
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#GiftOfLife #OrganDonation #DonateLife #Transplantation #LifeGift #NorasHome #TheLivingBank #TheHealthMuseum #KidneyHealth #TransplantEducation
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📢 Strengthening Kidney Transplant Education with U of Michigan Health! 💙💛
We're proud to celebrate our 18th Explore Transplant & Explore Living Donation Dialysis Provider Training in partnership with @UMichiganHealth! Together, we empower dialysis providers with the knowledge and tools to help kidney patients make informed transplant decisions.
✅ 800+ dialysis providers trained
✅ 5,000+ patients reached
✅ Advancing transplant education & health literacy
✅ 7,500 dialysis providers educated nationwide
Learn more at exploretransplant.org!
#KidneyTransplant #DialysisEducation #LivingDonation #ExploreTransplant #TransplantEducation #DonateLife #KidneyHealth #healthliteracymedia #patientengagement #universityofmichiganhealth
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💙 A Family’s Legacy of Giving: Elaine’s Kidney Donation Story 💙
When Elaine’s 19-year-old son selflessly donated his kidney to a stranger, she was inspired by his bravery. Seeing how smoothly his journey went, she decided to follow in his footsteps—donating her kidney just six months later.
At first, Elaine had concerns about the safety of living donation, but after learning it was safer than an appendectomy or childbirth—both experiences she had already gone through—she knew she could do it. “I will become a kidney donor and save a life,” she decided, and she has never looked back.
🎧 Listen to Elaine’s inspiring story and help spread the word about the power of living donation! Like, share, and inspire others! livingdonationstories.org/videos/elaine-kidney-donor/
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#livingdonationstorytelling
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#LivingDonation #KidneyTransplant #DonateLife #BeTheGift #TransplantHeroes #GiveLife #OrganDonation #LivingDonor #TransplantSupport #GratefulHeart #KidneyHealth #kidneydisease #kidneyfailure #livingdonor #transplantation #youareunique #OrganDonation #CKD #CHRONICKIDNEYFAILURE #illnesses #chronicillness #KidneyDiseaseAwareness #LivingKidneyTransplant #ResilienceAndHope #StrengthInLove #BraveAndSelfless #KindnessInAction #LifeChanger
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💙💚 April is National Donate Life Month! 💙💚
Every day, you have the power to save and heal lives. By registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor, you can give hope to the thousands waiting for a second chance at life.
👉 Make your decision count! Register today at RegisterMe.org and share your choice with your loved ones.
Together, we can make a difference. 💙💚
#DonateLifeMonth #BeTheGift #savelives #OrganDonation #donatelife #GiveHope #TransplantHeroes
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🚨 Xenotransplantation: A Future Without Organ Shortages? 🚨
In her latest blog, Martha Gershun explores how xenotransplantation—transplanting genetically modified pig organs into humans—has rapidly progressed from science fiction to reality. 🧬🐷
With successful pig-to-human kidney transplants and clinical trials underway, this breakthrough could revolutionize organ transplantation. But as experts caution, living donation remains the most immediate, lifesaving option for patients today.
📖 Read Martha’s full blog here: exploretransplant.org/xenotransplantation-moves-closer-to-reality/ or visit Explore Transplant, under Transplant News, and learn more about the future of transplantation!
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#Xenotransplantation #OrganDonation #TransplantBreakthrough #LivingDonation #MedicalInnovation #KidneyTransplant #ScienceForGood #ExploreTransplant
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Transplant news
INSIGHTS FROM KIDNEY RECIPIENTS, LIVING DONORS AND TRANSPLANT PROFESSIONALS
Dr. Stephanie Yi: Advancing Transplant Surgery and Health Equity Through Research
Written by: Souha Farhat, MD Meet Dr. Stephanie Yi Dr. Stephanie Yi is a kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon and an Associate Professor of Surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital. With a deep commitment to improving transplant outcomes, Dr. Yi balances her clinical practice with research to address disparities in transplantation and enhance patient care. A Natural Fit with the PE …Read more
Xenotransplantation Moves Closer to Reality
Written by Martha Gershun, Guest Blogger When I donated a kidney to a woman I read about in the newspaper in 2018, the idea that xenotransplantation might someday make human organ donations obsolete was a far-fetched fantasy. Today, just seven years later, that fantasy is much closer to reality. The first successful animal-to-human kidney transplant took place one year ago …Read more
Driving Equity in Transplantation: Dr. Jonathan Daw’s Journey with the PE Lab
Written by: Souha Farhat, MD Dr. Jonathan Daw is an Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at the Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on health disparities in organ transplantation, and he has made significant contributions to the field through his work on living donor kidney transplantation. A Fortuitous Meeting with the PE Lab Dr. Daw’s journey with the PE …Read more