Kidney Donors Save Lives

During this journey, I have come in contact with a number of wonderful people!  Many have contacted me and the hospital to learn more about becoming a kidney donor.  But a lot of folks are really unfamiliar with the logistics of donating a kidney. So while I am looking for a donor, I hope to continue to provide some knowledge and educate everyone on the process.

There are three types of living kidney donations: direct donation, paired exchange, and a Good Samaritan donation.

Direct Donation: The donor knows the recipient and the kidney goes directly to them.

Paired Exchange: The donor gives a kidney to one person in exchange for a kidney for their friend or loved one. Typically, this occurs when the donor does not match (e.g. blood type, etc.) their loved one.

Good Samaritan Donation: Here, the donor gives a kidney to a stranger who has a donor that does not match. This initiates a chain of donations and can allow for better matching by the doctors.

Each of these situations show that living donors save lives. You can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living kidney donor.

A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Nikki

From Georgia to Pennsylvania: Another Kidney Donation Story

A reader of my blog contacted me through Facebook to tell me her story of kidney donation. I am very proud to share her experience here.

I was about to turn 40 and was planning to run a marathon for the Diabetes Association in honor of my uncle when I found out that he needed a kidney. Figured it was easier to donate a kidney than to run 26.2 miles!

My uncle, who had diabetes that was causing kidney failure, made the transplant list in 2007. I live in Georgia and he lived in Pennsylvania. The process started in Georgia, and the kidney transplant department sent me a kit.  I had to have 7 vials of blood drawn and shipped overnight to Pennsylvania to see if I was a match. I don’t remember the magic number of matches to proceed, but my number was higher than the lowest that they allow. Then Piedmont hospital performed my health exam; they screened me inside and out.

I had to collect and measure my urine for 24 hours. So I rolled a cooler to my son’s soccer game, including the container in case I had to go! Once it was definite that I was healthy, we scheduled the surgery around his son’s wedding. Two weeks before surgery, I broke my wrist playing soccer. The cast didn’t stop anything.

I think the meanest thing was that the hospital kidney department gave me a $25 food voucher for the day before the procedure but I was on a liquid diet! The surgery started around 7 am. I was out of surgery by noon. They placed my donated kidney low in his pelvis – almost in front of his leg; he then had 3 kidneys. Fortunately, it worked right away.

Before the surgery, my uncle and I said we would race to see who would visit who first. The day after surgery, I made it to his room just as he was about to get up. I left hospital on the third day (2 nights). The hardest part after the surgery was dealing with air in my abdomen. During the surgery, the surgeon pumps your belly full of air; they use the laparoscopic opening through the stomach to get to the kidney. After surgery, the air is still there and has to slowly go away. I won’t lie – it felt bad—like bad “gas”. However, the walking helped it to dissipate — it only lasted a day or two. I went home on a plane 5 days after surgery.

I did my follow-up appointments in Georgia. I went back to work in 2 weeks and was playing soccer, running, and lifting weights again in 12 weeks. Back to normal.  Now, I do drink alcohol, and I can eat what I want. However, I try to keep it healthy and limit my cokes/sodas to once a week. The biggest adjustment I have had to make is that as a donor, I cannot take any anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen. When I get sick, I make sure the doctor or pharmacist knows that I’m a kidney donor so I can take medicine that won’t affect my kidney. My creatinine is at the level that it would be if I had two kidneys – which is a good thing. And life is great. My uncle didn’t need dialysis and went from being tired and confined to doctors’ offices to living life to the fullest.  I am so glad and proud to be a kidney donor.
If anyone wants to share their story as a living kidney donor, please send me a message through my Facebook page.

While it is a big decision to donate a kidney, living donors can save lives. A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis. If you think it might be something that you are interested in, you can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living donor.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Dominique (Nikki) Brooks

A First Hand Account from a Living Kidney Donor

As the search for a kidney donor continues, we thought it would be good to  repeat this blog post. This is a first-hand account from a person who is a living kidney donor.

I am a good friend of The Brooks family. When I heard that Nikki is in need of a kidney, I wanted to help her. How? How can I be of help to Nikki? By telling you my story; because I am certain that my story will inspire you to consider yourself as a possible kidney donor for Nikki.

The thought of donating an organ can be intimidating and overwhelming. I should know, as I went through the same emotions. But what I also know now is that if I had to do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat. In fact, if I had another kidney to spare, I’d give the gift of life to someone who is badly in need of it.

You see, about two years ago a loved one in my family lost both their kidneys to an auto immune condition. I wanted to see them return back to their healthy life as soon as possible and hence I decided to donate one of my kidneys to them. After undergoing a thorough evaluation, I was deemed a perfect candidate for the donation. And yet, I was a bit concerned and was worried about the impact of donating a kidney to my active life style and the changes I personally would have to make to lead a normal life. And while knowing that the transplant center would not approve a person who is likely to have health complications related to the lack of a kidney later in life as a donor was very helpful, what was reassuring was to talk to someone who has donated a kidney before. There is no substitute to hearing the process and what to expect — before, during, and after the donation — from someone who has been through it all. A couple of donors spent time educating me and allaying my fears and I am paying that forward by offering to spend time with you and walk you through my experience, as you consider doing the most generous act of wanting to donate a kidney to Nikki.

I was discharged from the hospital the second day after my surgery and started to work the third week after my surgery. Being active, drinking plenty of water, and walking around speeds up the recovery. I have returned to my extremely active life style now; so much so that I don’t feel any different now than when I had two kidneys. The only thing I pay particular attention to is to keep myself hydrated extremely well. Other than that I am living my life the exact same way I did before my organ donation. 

The doctors, nurses, coordinators, and entire transplant program staff assured me that both the donor and the recipient can return back to their normal lives after a transplant. And they were absolutely spot on, as both I and the recipient of my kidney are healthy and leading a very active life.

Nothing can be more fulfilling than to know that your generous act of organ donation saved someone’s life. 

If anyone wants to share their story as a living kidney donor, please send me a message through my Facebook page.

While it is a big decision to donate a kidney, living donors can save lives. A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis. If you think it might be something that you are interested in, you can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living donor.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Dominique (Nikki) Brooks

A First Hand Account of a Living Kidney Donor

As the search for a kidney donor continues, we thought it would be good to  repeat this blog post. This is a first-hand account from a person who is a living kidney donor.

I am a good friend of The Brooks family. When I heard that Nikki is in need of a kidney, I wanted to help her. How? How can I be of help to Nikki? By telling you my story; because I am certain that my story will inspire you to consider yourself as a possible kidney donor for Nikki.

The thought of donating an organ can be intimidating and overwhelming. I should know, as I went through the same emotions. But what I also know now is that if I had to do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat. In fact, if I had another kidney to spare, I’d give the gift of life to someone who is badly in need of it.

You see, about two years ago a loved one in my family lost both their kidneys to an auto immune condition. I wanted to see them return back to their healthy life as soon as possible and hence I decided to donate one of my kidneys to them. After undergoing a thorough evaluation, I was deemed a perfect candidate for the donation. And yet, I was a bit concerned and was worried about the impact of donating a kidney to my active life style and the changes I personally would have to make to lead a normal life. And while knowing that the transplant center would not approve a person who is likely to have health complications related to the lack of a kidney later in life as a donor was very helpful, what was reassuring was to talk to someone who has donated a kidney before. There is no substitute to hearing the process and what to expect — before, during, and after the donation — from someone who has been through it all. A couple of donors spent time educating me and allaying my fears and I am paying that forward by offering to spend time with you and walk you through my experience, as you consider doing the most generous act of wanting to donate a kidney to Nikki.

I was discharged from the hospital the second day after my surgery and started to work the third week after my surgery. Being active, drinking plenty of water, and walking around speeds up the recovery. I have returned to my extremely active life style now; so much so that I don’t feel any different now than when I had two kidneys. The only thing I pay particular attention to is to keep myself hydrated extremely well. Other than that I am living my life the exact same way I did before my organ donation. 

The doctors, nurses, coordinators, and entire transplant program staff assured me that both the donor and the recipient can return back to their normal lives after a transplant. And they were absolutely spot on, as both I and the recipient of my kidney are healthy and leading a very active life.

Nothing can be more fulfilling than to know that your generous act of organ donation saved someone’s life. 

If anyone wants to share their story as a living kidney donor, please send me a message through my Facebook page.

While it is a big decision to donate a kidney, living donors can save lives. A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis. If you think it might be something that you are interested in, you can help by calling us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening on being a living donor.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Dominique (Nikki) Brooks

 

Still Searching for a Kidney for Nikki

Regarding the transplant list for my potential kidney donor, I want to thank everyone who called in for the screening. I know many of you that had called in may be wondering why you hadn’t been contacted yet by the hospital for further work up. I spoke to St. Luke’s Hospital and they had encountered a few problems so things were not moving along very quickly. However, they suggested that I reach out to people who had already passed the phone screen and ask them to call back now to the transplant center (832-355-4100) and tell the screeners that you had already passed the initial screening but wanted to reinitiate contact. Michelle McClaren is the coordinator assistant – mention her name to the screener and remind them that your planned recipient is Dominique (Nikki) Brooks.

I want to thank all of you who have expressed an interest in my situation, who have shared my posts, and have shared my story with your friends and families.  We are still searching for a Kidney for Nikki.

A living donor candidate is a person who is healthy, well-informed and makes a voluntary decision to donate one of their kidneys. Living donors must be over 18 and in good general health, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30, a non-smoker, with no evidence of significant high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or hepatitis.

Thanks for helping us find a living kidney donor.  Please spread the word and/or call us at 770-310-2426 for info to do a 15-minute phone screening or St. Luke’s Transplant Department directly at 832-355-4100 on behalf of me, Dominique Brooks.

Be Inspired — Give Life!

Dominique (Nikki) Brooks

error: Content is protected !!
Skip to content