Nicholas Goodwin - 29
"We feel like we’re all a family now. I can never repay her for what she did, but I am beyond thankful for her kindness.”
“My mother also has PKD, which is a genetic disease. I’ve had four aunts who have had kidney transplants. My mom had two transplants and she lost her last one in the mid to late ’90s. She is currently on dialysis and works, so she is definitely an inspiration.
“I was fortunate because I never had to do dialysis. My creatinine levels did get to the point where our local nephrologist thought I needed to have the transplant so I wouldn’t have to do dialysis. Because I was still young, he wanted to get ahead of the problem.
“We got on the transplant list in April 2014. My wife, Felisa, tried to donate directly to me, but we weren’t a match, so we decided to go into the paired exchange program. I was contacted in September and told that I would have my transplant on November 20. I was really happy, but in disbelief that it happened so quickly.
“I can notice a difference already just a few days after the transplant. I have more energy.
“I was happy and excited to meet my donor, Mrs. Kim Teele, and so thankful. She is such a great woman, and her family was so wonderful. We feel like we’re all a family now. I can never repay her for what she did, but I am beyond thankful for her kindness.”