Worth Knowing: A Donation of Life

April is “Donate Life Month,” a time to honor those who have saved and enhanced lives through organ donation, and to call attention to those awaiting an organ donation and a second chance at life. In that light, we share the following item from Shelly Caplan at IQ Solutions.

Kim Plummer, a 37-year old conference logistics coordinator, and her coworker Lisa Jordre, a 44-year old conference planner, focus much of their professional efforts at IQ Solutions, a health education, information and communications firm, on helping public-sector clients affect change and improve public health. The two women recently experienced the results of that mission in their own lives when Lisa donated one of her kidneys to Kim, who had been suffering end-stage renal failure and waiting on the transplant list for six years. Kim recently returned to work after three months of recovery from her December 4 surgery. For the full story, click here.

“Life before the transplant consisted of multiple surgeries, catheters and lots and lots of complications,” said Kim. “I used to have four-hour dialysis sessions every other day that left me so tired I could not walk the steps. Despite it all, I was trying to spend quality time with my two kids, maintain a full-time job and run a household.”

Lisa, a mother of two who was already listed as an organ donor but had never considered being a living donor, said her decision to donate a kidney to Kim – whom she knew for only one year -- was easy.“ I noticed one day how wiped out Kim was when she got back from dialysis,” she said, “and it got me thinking. Maybe I can help. I won’t be hurt by this. Why not do it? Test after test came back with the green light to move forward, so I felt this was what I was meant to do.”

Despite some minor post-operative complications, Kim’s recovery was easier than expected. Kim’s initial hospital stay at Georgetown University Hospital was only four days out of the 10 for which she planned. Lisa’s hospital stay for her laparoscopic donor surgery was two days, and she was able to return to “normal life” one month later.

Kim revels in her newfound free time post-transplant. “Now that I don’t have to go to half-day dialysis sessions, I have lots of extra time to do whatever I want, like take my seven-year old to the park and see my 15-year-old participate in school activities. I can be an involved parent again, and I feel free for the first time in ages!”

She checks her blood pressure and takes 18 medications daily, mostly to prevent organ rejection. Her weekly doctor visits are now monthly. And she hugs Lisa every time she sees her in the halls at IQ Solutions. “I came to IQ Solutions five years ago because I loved the focus on health. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that someone here would be so dedicated as to give up one of her kidneys and give me a chance at a healthy life,” said Kim.

“When I came to IQ Solutions I felt passionate about the mission of improving quality of life and now I’ve had the opportunity to make a real difference in one person’s life,” said Lisa. “Being a living donor has had a huge, positive impact on me, and seeing my colleague so renewed and happy is the cherry on top!”