Usually it’s the son who looks up to his dad as his hero but for me, my son is my hero. His selfless decision to donate his liver saved my life. I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in September 2018. While I had been showing symptoms for a while prior, I was still …
I followed the doctor into the hallway. I didn’t want my dad to hear the answer I was afraid of, “No…sorry…Mr. Horner is not a candidate for a transplant.” Let me back up. We forced Dad to come to the ER more than three weeks ago, convinced he was in heart failure. He has a …
Why I lost nearly 50 lbs to donate my kidney and save my father’s life Read More »
Stephen Mensch was like any other young father, happily married and enjoying life. That is, until he started feeling the effects of his chronic liver condition that would soon leave him in desperate need of a transplant. In his early 20s, Stephen was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), a chronic liver disease in which …
How his best friend became his living organ donor Read More »
Talking to the parents of the first baby born in the U.S. after a uterus transplant, you wouldn’t know they were part of a major medical milestone in a landmark clinical trial. They’re just like any other set of parents — overjoyed and in love with their precious baby boy, who recently celebrated his first …
A message of hope for those struggling with infertility Read More »
When her brother’s kidneys began to fail, nothing could keep Bindu from saving his life, not even the nearly 10,000 miles separating them. From Coimbatore, India, all the way to Dallas, Texas, Bindu made the selfless decision to be her brother Biji’s living organ donor. Since childhood, the two siblings have always been close, but …
Sister travels all the way from India to be her brother’s living kidney donor Read More »
Ja’Niece DeCay promised to love her husband through sickness and in health. What she didn’t realize was that one day she would offer an even greater sacrifice to her husband’s brother — her own kidney. The search for a lifesaving kidney Kenny DeCay was encouraged to get tested for kidney disease after his twin brother …
With dialysis looming, Kenny’s living kidney transplant was the gift of a lifetime Read More »
For a few moments, time stood still at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple. Employees from all areas of the hospital gathered and lined the hallways to pay tribute to the life and legacy of 21-year-old Matthew Spahn. Matthew’s final farewell lap Nearly two weeks after being struck by a vehicle early in …
Hospital staff honors 21-year-old organ donor in moving “Walk of Respect” Read More »
“Why don’t you compete in the Transplant Olympics?” A friend asked me this question back in early May 2018. “I’ve never heard of the Transplant Olympics,” I replied. But despite my lack of knowledge, I was intrigued. After doing some research, I learned the purpose of Transplant Games of America (TGA) is to honor organ …
For a brief moment in time, Jimmy Taylor and Kevin Sheldon did not have hearts in their chests. They are two of the lucky few given a second chance at life — a new heart. In 2011, Jimmy’s heart function fell to less than 10 percent and was diagnosed with heart failure. Over time, his heart …
Two men with failing hearts granted new life and new friendship Read More »
Melany needed a kidney. Jennifer was a living organ donor. Brought together by organ donation, two complete strangers share their journey to an unforeseen friendship. Melany: The diagnosis Growing up, I’ve always been pretty sickly. Many mountains have crossed my health path, first beginning with the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease known as Crohn’s disease. …
How we became sisters through a kidney transplant Read More »