“I had wanted to donate a kidney for a while. It had been on my mind for a couple of years. Something just laid upon me to do it.
“I read an article one day that said you could donate without being a family member. That inspired me to get in shape and be healthy so I could give. It helped me run my first 5K race.
“In January 2015 I applied online to UAB. I knew they had a kidney transplant program, but I didn’t know about the living donor program. I found out about that online. I knew I needed to do it now.
“I wasn’t really nervous the day of the surgery. I never wanted to back out. The surgery went well and I was discharged the Saturday after my procedure.
“It was such a lovely event meeting my recipient. I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet at first. I thought I would just do what I needed to do, but it was such a joy meeting her. It was emotional.
“I enjoy life and I wanted others to as well. I think a lot of people would do this if they knew they had the opportunity to do it. You can make such a difference in someone else’s life.
“This was the perfect opportunity to give life.”
Cindy Atkin - 46
"I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet at first. I thought I would just do what I needed to do, but it was such a joy meeting her. It was emotional."