High-tech medicine and human kindness combine in UAB's ongoing kidney chain, a series of transplant surgeries that have given 114 people so far a new lease on life. The chain is the nation's longest ever.
The kidney chain has been kept going by many remarkable acts of sacrifice, and has revealed many moving stories of determination. Tyler Williamson went to TEDx Birmingham’s 2017 event in March expecting to be inspired and to network and make new connections with fellow attendees. What the 27-year-old did not anticipate was that inspiration would lead him to volunteer to become a living kidney donor just seven months later. See his story in this video:
After more than four years of dialysis treatments, Kendra Brooks received her transplant in April 2016. Kendra’s mom donated a kidney so her daughter could receive one and wrote a letter to share the news. “It said, ‘God has answered our prayers. We have a match.’ I cried puddles of tears of joy,” Kendra says.
High blood pressure and diabetes ravaged Sheldon Vaughn’s kidneys, and it was the kindness of two donors who helped him achieve a transplant. “A dialysis nurse my wife and I came to know wanted to donate to me, but wasn’t a match for me, and her kidney went to a woman in Florida. But because of her donation, I was able go on the UAB list and received my kidney from a young woman named Nicole who had contacted UAB and wanted to donate her kidney to anybody. So in a sense, I feel like I have two donors.”
With a desire to help others, Laura Burks was looking for her next opportunity when a friend posted on her blog about how she was going to donate a kidney. “I thought, ‘That is what I need to do,’ Laura says. “Before that, I didn’t know you could be a loving donor. I thought it was something that happens after you pass away. After realizing that I could give away an organ that I don’t have to have to live with, I thought, ‘If I don’t do this, my life’s not complete.’ I just knew somebody needed a kidney and they’re depending on some stranger to give up theirs, and I was that stranger.
High blood pressure caused William Harris’ kidneys to fail, and he was told he would eventually need a kidney transplant to live. After nine years of dialysis treatments, his wish came true. “When I was told I was a candidate to get a transplant, and that there was a match for me, I didn’t have any fears,” William says. “I was humbled to know that someone wanted to give me a kidney.”
Watch some of the dramatic stories from the UAB Kidney Chain
"Knowing that there was somebody out there who could use what I had and praying about it and seeing a friend who had donated a kidney made me realize that perhaps I was somebody else's friend."
“She’s just a beautiful person. The fact that Paula would come forward and donate to a stranger, to me, it was an act of obedience. She heard what God said, and she just did it."
"We came during the snow storm. We got stuck on the interstate about 12 miles down the road. We sat on the interstate for three hours before we had some truckers move people out of the way and let us…
"To be able to give to someone and you’re not really looking for anything in return, and you’re helping a stranger, is just amazing. It’s a great thing."
“I really think if people knew more about kidney transplant and the living donor programs available, there would be a lot more chains started. I don’t think people realize how healthy you can live with one kidney and really how…
"Having been born with two kidneys, it would stand to reason they would both be mine.... And then one day, out of the blue, my reasoning began to break down."
"She's been on the waiting list for a deceased donor organ for years with no end in sight. We were on this waiting list for three months. It's really been amazing."
"I started dialysis my first day in the hospital, Oct. 28. I'm glad to be off of it and have this transplant behind me. I hope to get back on with my life and pick up where I left off."
"The reason why I did this is very simple—my daughter needed a kidney, and I'd do anything to help her. But if we could help other people in the process, why not pick someone else up and carry them with…
"My husband needed a kidney, and I wasn't a match for him.... He was a little hesitant for me to do this.... But the main goal, as I kept telling him, is for him to be around for our kids.…
"My brother giving on my behalf is pretty amazing. This time last year he was in a near-fatal car accident.... I just feel like God let him survive to help me out."
"This chain, it just shows the sacrifices people will do to help others -- family members or close friends, and in some cases total strangers. It's inspiring and appreciated."
"I would give a thousand kidneys if I were able to. It really is bigger than just you. We are all on earth to do something bigger than ourselves, and it feels good when you actually have an opportunity to…
"This chain is just a miracle. It's a miracle for everybody involved. Medicine has changed so much since my first transplant. It's unbelievable what can be done now."
"I knew this was going to be a possibility one day. I wanted to give him a kidney the first time, but I was too young. It never really occurred to me to second-guess doing this at all. Not one…
"It’s great that this chain has been put together so we can share our stories with others in need and do what we can to bring awareness about the power of living kidney donation.”
“It’s great to hear that this chain has grown so much. I’m very happy that this is happening because it means a lot more people will have a chance for life."
"I got to meet my donor, and it was emotional, but good. It was good to hear her story and meet her. I just know I’m forever grateful to her for what she did."
"I’d never heard of doing anything like this. But giving my kidney to somebody else is just as good as me giving my kidney directly to him. And when you think about it, two people are going to have a…
"Frank has two kids, and I didn’t want to see those kids grow up without a father. I wanted to give someone a chance. I wanted to give Frank a chance."
"God clearly spoke to my heart and told me I needed to offer her one of my kidneys. It was not something I took lightly. I prayed about it for several months."
“It’s absolutely amazing that they can do this, that this chain is possible. It’s all due to the donors. They are the angels and the true heroes in all of this."
"All I cared about at first was my aunt, but it’s really pretty cool to know that there are others out there just like her whose lives are changing, hopefully for the better."
"I actually thought I was being lied to when I first got the call saying doctors here had found a kidney for me. Less than two months ago, they called me when I was on the dialysis machine. They said,…
"I just knew that Estella had been given the gift of life and someone else was waiting for their gift, too. And after the surgery and my donation was over, and the doctor came to walk me over to see…
“When we got that phone call, everything lifted. I could see her spirit lifting. Her attitude changed. She was telling everyone, ‘I’m going to get a new kidney.’ My family has been through so much. This was just God-sent."
"I guess it would have been easy to put it off, or say no, but UAB was willing to send the testing kit to our hotel, so I was able to take care of everything from Orlando after I found a…
"People were willing to donate a kidney to me, but we could never get a match. Then my cousin said he would give; he wasn’t exactly a match, so he gave on my behalf."
"I thought I would have to have a donor that matched my tissue and blood type. And, in your mind, you think, 'Well, let me try to find a family member.' But everyone in my family has high blood pressure."
"I wish other people knew how much it helps people out. People can live with one kidney. Folks need to take it to heart. If they can give, then they should give.”
“It’s beyond me that someone hooked up on dialysis can’t get away from it. It’s so limiting to them.… To find out that someone can unplug you from the machine and give you life, there are no words that can…
“I was a schoolteacher at Jeff Davis High School for 30 years, and the thing I’m looking most forward to now that I’m retired is traveling and not doing dialysis."
"When I came up to do the battery of tests, I talked with her, an advocate, a counselor and a few others. They wanted to see where my mindset was emotionally and physically. They didn’t want me to feel pressured…
“I think a lot of people don’t give because they are either scared or they aren’t educated. The chance at life that you are giving to someone is such a good thing."
"I believe deeply that as someone who has been given much, I am responsible for extending myself to those in need. I’m the recipient of a lot of generosity, and I need to be generous."
“Happy is not even a word I can use when I found out he was getting a kidney. I was thrilled. Then I found out it was from a live donor. I was even happier then.”
"I thought about asking my kids if they would help me get a transplant by donating to me or for me, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t ask them. They wanted to do it, but it took me years…
“When your mom is sick, it’s not even a question of whether or not you are willing to do something like this.… You do what you what you have to do to try and make her life better."
“I came to UAB through Dr. Locke. I’ve known her for many years. I did some research on UAB and learned it was the leading hospital in the southeast for kidney transplants."
“If someone else was thinking about donating a kidney, I would tell them.… that the few days of pain is worth helping someone else add more years to their life."
“I met my donor after the surgery, and she’s a wonderful person. We talked quite a bit right after the transplant. I was really amazed that she would do that for a stranger."
Additional Info
HometownEldridge, Alabama (previously and now in New York)
“I’m proud to be a part of the chain. I hope my story could help inspire people to not be scared of the situation but just face it. Now I’m living a normal life.”
“The way I looked at it is that, since I was deemed a great candidate, then for me to hold onto something I didn’t need — but that could save somebody else’s life — would be rather selfish."
"I am humbled by all the donors who have come to the program and said, ‘Even if it’s not a family member or a friend, I want to give.’ They are special."
“The process was emotional because, once I had made up my mind to do it, I had to answer everyone’s questions. My husband asked why I’d want to do this for someone I didn’t know when it was unnecessary. I…
“Working at UAB’s organ transplant lab, I see what patients go through while they’re waiting. I see the painful process of dialysis, so I wanted to help at least one person and their family."
“I know God was with me. I had no pain at all after the surgery, and I told them to take away the pain pump. The morning after, I took my IV pole and started walking. And I haven’t stopped…
“The person who got my kidney was a preacher with four kids who had been on dialysis for a while. When I met him and saw the look on his face, it was worth every bit of it right then."
“I’ve talked to so many people, and if they ask about kidney donation, I tell them, ‘Just go through the testing and see if you’re able to, and if you’re not scared of surgery, consider it. Because somebody is relying…
"They told me her kidney matched like it was my own. After I got my transplant, we all met in the same room. Now I have her on Facebook. We talk back and forth every now and then to check…
"When I understood what it meant to be a kidney donor, I asked to donate. When he started rejecting the kidney transplant he got all of those years ago, I knew what I was going to do."
"I did not want my mom to give a kidney because I did not want to see her go through the pain. My mother did not listen to me though, because she went behind my back and made an appointment…
“People see me now and ask, ‘Are you OK?’ They know I gave a kidney, and they think that changes something about you. It’s the just fear of the unknown."
"I feel more humbled than anything because Prince had a chance to back out of giving his kidney; but he said he had made a promise, and he was going to do what he set out to do. I am…
"I feel like I was destined to become a part of this chain. I was the 66th person in the chain, and my husband’s number on his work badge before he retired as a fireman was number 66.”
"When I first heard about it, I thought there was a lot of faux hype behind it; but going through the process, I feel like a rock star who has had his five minutes of fame."
"That’s why I donated in 1998, was so my dad could get a kidney. The really cool thing was that Dr. Mark Deierhoi did my dad’s transplant, and he also did mine. I thought that was pretty awesome."
"There have been so many things and experiences that this kidney transplant has given back to me, and I am certain I will never take that for granted again."
"I knew in my heart that it felt right – a stranger was saving my daughter’s life and in turn, I was able to give life back to a father and husband. That is such a fulfilling feeling that I…
"You never think about things like transplants until you need it. It’s an incredible thing to have something like UAB’s transplant program and this kidney chain right here in Alabama."
"My biggest fear going into this was not being able to help my brother. It was disappointing when we were told that my kidney was too small for him, because we were a match otherwise. But UAB’s transplant program was…
"My husband had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and needed two months of radiation treatments in Atlanta. Four days after my surgery, I was able to recover with him! (That was my third miracle!)"
“When we first found out my sister, Victoria Smith, was sick, I made a joke and said, ‘If you ever need a kidney, I’ll give you one of mine.’ I didn’t know that down the road she really would need…
"Before she donated her kidney to me, she named it ‘Ruby’ and even had a going away party for it. So, I’ll call her up sometimes just to let her know that ‘Ruby’ and I are OK."
"Momma had been on the deceased donor list for quite some time and had even gone to UAB a few times as a backup recipient, but had always come home empty-handed."
“My son-in-law lives right up the road from me, and I see him almost every day. I’ve asked him a good bit if he’s had any problems, and he says he’s had none. He says he can’t even tell now…
“I hope to meet my donor someday, and if I do, it is probably going to really bring out the emotions in me. I think I’m a strong guy and pretty tough, but I’m also pretty emotional and there’s a…
“It’s a small world, I guess, because I live in the little town of Vernon, Alabama, and my recipient lives about 20 miles away in Columbus, Mississippi. It’s like we’re all tied together in something good."
“My donor is a guy in his 30s who was listening to a podcast on effective ways of giving in life. He heard about the UAB Kidney Chain and said, ‘I can do this.’"
"I can honestly say throughout the whole process — even on the day of the surgery — that I was never nervous. I think it’s because I was doing it for the right reasons. The anxiety and worriedness just never…
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