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
Stef Duer
Stef never imagined that the work she’d one day dedicate her life to would become the very thing that helped her heal. She began her work as a Donor Family Coordinator at Donor Alliance a few years ago, supporting families through the process of organ, eye and tissue donation after loss. But her connection to […]
Aris & Dom
For Aris, a longtime DMV employee, asking people if they want to register as donors is part of his everyday work. But one day, a man walked up to him with a red rose and changed everything. The man told Aris that years ago, he was on a transplant waitlist and that because Aris asked […]
Sherri & Calvin
Sometimes the ‘perfect match’ isn’t about finding love—it’s about giving life. Meet Sherri and Calvin of Aurora, Colo. Calvin is a kidney and two-time liver recipient. Thanks to the generosity of a donor and their family, Sherri was given 10 more precious years with her husband Calvin following his first life-saving kidney transplant. When Calvin […]