“I had polycystic kidneys, which is why I needed a kidney transplant. I was not on dialysis yet, and they were trying to keep me from getting on dialysis. Once you go on dialysis you’re not as healthy.
“I signed up for the program in October and by the end of January, I had the transplant. It happened quickly.
“My husband wasn’t a match for me, but he donated a kidney so I could get one. David was upset that he wasn’t a match for me, but without my husband giving the kidney I would have been on the list for seven years at least. And they guessed I was about five to six months from going on dialysis. It was a completely unselfish act on his part. He has back trouble, so when he had his surgery, he wasn’t in that good of shape anyway. But he’s done great since the surgery. He actually enjoyed going through the process and meeting the person who got his kidney.
“It’s really just been a good experience, and I hope I’m looking at a longer life than what I had.”
Cathy Messer - 10
"I signed up for the program in October and by the end of January, I had the transplant. It happened quickly."