Stories of Hope
Steve
In December of 1995, Steve went to see his doctor after feeling extremely ill. Early in the New Year, he was diagnosed with not one but several chronic conditions—lupus, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and recurring asthma. Before these medical tests, Steve was unaware that he had been born with only one kidney. Lupus was attacking his lone kidney, making his condition not only serious, but life threatening.
Steve began dialysis treatments, going to the clinic every other day to have his blood cleaned by the dialysis machine. His kidney function improved slightly, but in 1998, the organ finally gave out. His veins were also deteriorating from the grueling dialysis treatments. Steve prepared himself to join the long list of patients waiting for kidney transplants. But just before he joined the list, Steve’s three brothers, Harold, Albert and Douglass, decided to get tested as potential living donors. Harold, a Lieutenant for the Denver Fire Department, was the first to get tested. Fortunately, he was a match! Harold donated a kidney to Steve on January 13, 1999. Steve relates,
“Fortunately, I have not suffered any recurring kidney-related issues, and—amazingly—no rejection episodes.”
Steve and Harold will celebrate the 16th anniversary of their transplant in 2015. They intend to celebrate many more.
More Stories
Hilda
Hilda Chávez never imagined that her life would change from one day to the next. After experiencing several health symptoms, she was hospitalized and received news that changed everything: her kidneys were no longer functioning, and her life would depend on a transplant to heal and have a second chance at life. In June 2017, […]
Krystal and Tom
When Krystal and Tom lost their 5-year-old daughter, Aurora, in 2024, their world changed forever. Krystal describes Aurora as ‘joy-personified’. She was always singing, dancing, and finding a way to make the people around her feel loved. Even in her final moments, Aurora’s love and generosity lived on, carrying forward through organ donation. “When she left, it […]
Amy
Eleven years ago, Amy was balancing life as a busy mom of three when she got news that would change everything: a breast cancer diagnosis. After a bilateral mastectomy, she had reconstructive surgery that used donated tissue, a gift that played a big part in her recovery. As a longtime nurse, Amy shared she had […]