Explore Transplant & Living Donation

✨ Meet Doug, proof that it’s never too late for a second chance.

For four years, Doug’s life revolved around dialysis, three times a week, four hours at a time. Kidney failure meant planning everything around treatment, energy limits, and long days in a chair. Still, Doug kept moving, walking 1–2 miles a day and staying active to make dialysis easier.

What kept him going?
💚 His dream of enjoying retirement
💚 Watching his grandchildren grow
💚 Caring for his special-needs son

Then came an extraordinary gift: a living kidney donation from his sister. A perfect 6/6 match.

After transplant, everything changed. More energy. Better sleep. A healthy appetite. A quality of life Doug describes as 150–200% better. While the journey included challenges and setbacks, perseverance, family support, and a positive mindset made all the difference.

💬 “A good attitude is a must. Follow the plan, lean on family, and enjoy each day.”

👉 Watch Doug’s full story and explore more living donor journeys that show what’s possible at livingdonationstories.org

#LivingDonor #KidneyTransplant #SiblingDonation #LifeAfterDialysis #TransplantJourney #Grateful #GiftOfLife #TransplantStrong ... See MoreSee Less

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✨ Meet John, a heart transplant gave him a second chance at life.

John lived with heart disease his entire life. What began as a heart murmur in his youth never went away, and by age 50, his heart was failing. Simple moments with his children became exhausting. Breathing was hard. Energy was scarce.

In 2015, John’s heart function dropped to just 40%, and he was placed on a life-support machine while waiting for a transplant. Doctors told him he might wait six months. Instead, after two long months, the call came.

📞 “We have a heart for you.”

At 55 years old, John received the gift of a 25-year-old heart, after overcoming cancer treatment, lung surgery, and intense medical evaluations just to stay eligible. Through it all, his faith carried him.

Today, John walks, exercises, eats healthier, and lives with a strength he never knew before. His message is one of gratitude, for his donor, his care team, and a higher power that carried him through the waiting.

💬 “Someone gave so that I could live. I cherish this heart every single day.”

👉 Watch John’s powerful story and discover more journeys of hope, faith, and second chances at Healthstories4u.org

#HeartTransplant #SecondChanceAtLife #TransplantSurvivor #GiftOfLife #FaithAndHealing #HeartWarrior #OrganDonationSavesLives #PatientStories ... See MoreSee Less

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✨ Meet Mekhayel: 10 years post–kidney transplant and full of gratitude.

Before transplant, Mekhayel's kidney disease slowly changed his life. Dialysis took time, energy, and moments away from family, and left him feeling physically drained. But through it all, faith, family, and perseverance carried him forward.

When the call finally came, everything changed.

🚀 “It felt like someone put two rockets inside me.”
Energy returned. Hope surged. Life opened back up.

Today, Mekhayel is living proof of what a transplant can do, restoring not just health, but time, connection, and joy. He credits his wife, daughter, loved ones, and the incredible transplant care team for helping make this second chance possible.

👉 Watch Mekhayel's story and others like his through our Healthstories4u.org and see how transplant transforms lives.

#KidneyTransplant #TransplantJourney #10YearsPostTransplant #DialysisToTransplant #GratefulHeart #SecondChanceAtLife #OrganDonation #TransplantStrong #PatientStories #HopeLives ... See MoreSee Less

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💚 Meet Jullie: 5.5 years post–kidney transplant and thriving.

Diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease at just 26, Jullie spent more than two decades living fully, working, creating pottery, and staying active, before she ever needed a transplant. Because she received a preemptive kidney transplant (before dialysis), she was able to protect her health and step into a new chapter with strength and hope.

Her journey wasn’t without challenges. Jullie went home from transplant just as the country shut down for the pandemic, protecting her pediatric block kidneys and navigating recovery in isolation. Through it all, peer support, family, and staying connected to others with kidney disease helped carry her forward.

Today, Jullie feels good. She has energy, warmth in her hands and feet again, a career she loves, and deep gratitude for the gift of transplant.

✨ Her message to others waiting?
Stay ready. Stay connected. Share your story. And keep hope alive.

👉 Watch Jullie’s story and others like hers through our Healthstories4u.org

#KidneyTransplant #TransplantJourney #PreemptiveTransplant #PKD #KidneyHealth #PeerSupport #TransplantLife #OrganDonation #HopeHeals #TransplantStrong #PatientStories ... See MoreSee Less

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✨ Meet Michelle, 2 years living with an LVAD and reclaiming her life.

In her early 20s, Michelle was climbing, riding roller coasters, and living life at full speed, until heart failure changed everything overnight. With limited treatment options and unexpected reactions to medications, she faced a difficult decision: move forward with an LVAD or remain tied to a hospital bed.

She chose the LVAD, not because it was easy, but because it gave her a chance to live again.

Recovery was tough. Humbling. Emotional. Learning to sit up, stand, and care for herself again took months, and a village of family and friends who reminded her: you are not a burden, you are surviving.

Today, Michelle is running up stairs, doing laundry, living independently, and sharing her story so others don’t have to walk into this journey alone.

💬 “I wish I had heard from someone my age. If this helps even one person, it’s worth it.”

👉 Watch Michelle’s story and others like hers, and learn how support, resilience, and hope carry people forward at Healthstories4u.org

#LVADLife #HeartFailureAwareness #MechanicalHeart #SecondChanceAtLife #PatientStories #LivingWithLVAD #HeartWarrior #StrongerEveryDay #SupportMatters ... See MoreSee Less

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💚 Meet Jane — a living kidney donor who gave the gift of life to a complete stranger.

After reading a newspaper article, Jane asked herself a simple but powerful question: “Why not?”
Healthy, informed, and full of compassion, she chose to donate her left kidney in 2018—because she believed everyone deserves a little luck in life.

✨ Her life after donation?
Just as full as before. Kayaking. Biking. Running a 5K. And living proof that living donation can be safe, supported, and deeply meaningful.

Jane’s message is simple:

If we all help someone a little—or a lot—the world becomes a better place.

🎥 Watch Jane’s full story and others like hers through the LivingDonationStorytellingProject.com and see how everyday people are making extraordinary impact.

#LivingDonation #LivingKidneyDonor #DonationStory #GiveLife #TransplantStories #OrganDonationAwareness #LivingDonorStrong #ShareYourStory #HealthcareHeroes #OneActCanSaveALife #LivingDonationStorytellingProject ... See MoreSee Less

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