Saving a Life by Donation

In 2001 I was diagnosed with Kidney disease. The Doctors informed me I would need a kidney transplant.

Thank G-d through diet and many prayers to Hashem [G-d], my kidney levels were kept stable for seven years.

When the time came, that my creatinine levels were high, the word was put out that I was in need of a kidney. Many people responded and were tested. The testing process for a live donor is very extensive – literally from top to bottom the potential donor is checked out.

At any point, the potential donor can be disqualified due to a medical issue or if the donor decides for any reason, they do not want to go through with the donation. The recipient is not told why, just that the donor is not a match.

I was truly blessed that many people were tested. Many question were asked to rabbis. G-d blessed me that I did not have to go through dialysis, which can be exhausting but allows one to live as the toxins are removed from the body.

There are six antigens that are tested. The more antigens that match, it is considered better.

An amazing woman, volunteered to be my donor. We were not the best match medically but we were an incredible match in spiritual outlook and every other way. If the match is not high, it means that one takes different or more medicine to prevent rejection of the donor kidney.

It is difficult to comprehend that someone risks their life (the donor is well and is going through major surgery to make the recipient well) in order to give another person life.

I cannot begin to express my thanks to Hashem and to my donor. Thank G-d we are about to celebrate our seventh anniversary of our surgery. We are both doing terrific.

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Feedback

On a previous story (above)

* I just read the story about the woman who received a kidney donation and reading this story is very timely as I am about to donate my kidney to someone in less than 5 hours.

I am not sure who I am donating my kidney to, but I know the recipient is a woman who is my age. I am feverishly working through the night to get as much work done as possible before I have the surgery.

I have been blessed to be guided through this process by countless kind souls and I am grateful, beyond imagination, that Hashem has given me the chance to help another soul.

– Signed (Anonymous) because I will not be telling my family or friends that I am donating my kidney today; I am going to wait until after the surgery so nobody has to be worried about me.

Thank you for your wonderful Daily doses of Kindness (the best medicine ever)!

After Shmuel Greenbaum’s wife was killed by a suicide bomber in a Jerusalem restaurant, he responded to his tragedy not with hatred and anger, but by teaching the world kindness through the personal stories of every day people. His two websites send kindness e-mails to thousands of subscribers directly and are reprinted in hundreds of publications, which reach millions of readers.

Shmuel is fascinating audiences from Larnaca, Cyprus to London, England with a dynamic presentation. Rather than focusing on hatred and anger, Shmuel focuses on the positive. Through stories and audience participation, Shmuel plays up the emotions of the crowd and rivets his audience’s attention. Participants come away feeling very positive and excited about doing something great.