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Category: Kidney Transplant
A shared space where donor and recipient reflect on the kidney transplant journey. Two voices, one life-changing bond.
Not Many Patients Reach Kidney Transplant Evaluation
Nearly half of the people referred for a kidney transplant never make it to evaluation. Half. (Let that sink in.) I made it through evaluation, the waitlist, and surgery, and I don't take one bit of it for granted. A new study explains why the odds aren't equal for everyone. Here's why it matters.
Mayo Clinic announces milestone with its first robotic pancreas kidney transplant
Mayo Clinic completed its first robotic pancreas‑kidney transplant, giving Steve Canzoneri renewed health after years of diabetes complications. The minimally invasive approach helped him recover quickly and return to life with new strength.
Beginnings & New Beginnings
A birthday used to be a simple circle on the calendar. Then a kidney transplant gave me a second beginning. This reflection looks at the two days that shaped my life, the gratitude that grew from them, and the gift of waking up to a future I once hoped for but could not see.
The Economist Who Figured Out How to Get Strangers to Save Each Other
Discover how Nobel Prize-winning economist Alvin Roth used economic theory to create kidney paired donation chains, a system that gives thousands a second chance each year. Part of an ongoing series about one man's kidney transplant journey.
Donation & Transplantation Statistics
More than 49,000 transplants changed lives in 2025, yet over 100,000 people are still waiting. With someone added to the list every 8 minutes, the need for organ, eye, and tissue donors remains urgent.
A kidney biopsy for research
A biopsy I didn’t need became a chance to give back. This is the story of how gratitude, research, and unseen generosity began my second chance.
Six Months Post-Kidney Transplant
Half a year with Sidney the kidney: labs, laughter, unexpected energy, and the unfolding gratitude that comes from a stranger’s life‑changing yes.
Medical Illiteracy
A look at how confusing medical language can leave patients feeling lost, and how small acts of courage can help us reclaim clarity in our own care.
When the Donor Match Isn’t Perfect, a Chain Can Be
A personal look at how paired kidney donation creates life-changing connections. This is the story of how a transplant chain made my second chance possible, and how one yes can ripple through countless lives.
Confessions of a Good Samaritan (Documentary)
Confessions of a Good Samaritan follows filmmaker Penny Lane as she documents her decision to donate a kidney to a stranger, blending personal storytelling with a thoughtful exploration of the science, ethics, and emotional complexity of altruism.
Importance of Self-Care Post-Kidney Transplant
A kidney transplant changed my days into a practice of vigilance, gratitude, and self‑care. This is the story of how lab visits, pillboxes, boundaries, and small daily choices became the partnership that keeps my donated kidney safe.
My Six-Inch Scar
A six‑inch scar tells the story of my kidney transplant; how a donated organ, a living donor’s courage, and months of uncertainty became a path toward healing. This is the story held in that line of skin, the memories it carries, and the life it makes possible.
About Kidney Transplant Care Teams
I was blessed with a care team made up of my parents. Their support made me wonder how other transplant patients walk this road and who stood beside them. I'm gathering comments from a post-transplant Facebook group. What I've found so far reminded me that a kidney transplant is never a one-person story. It rises or falls on the strength of the people who choose to help.
Thinking about my Kidney Donor
A transplant recipient searches for words worthy of thanking an unknown donor whose gift reshaped his life.
Kidney Transplant Breakthroughs
A look at the latest breakthroughs in kidney transplants and kidney disease research, from universal‑match organs to regenerative therapies shaping tomorrow’s care.
Kidney Transplant – Stats (2025)
A snapshot of 2025 kidney transplant activity, highlighting record‑setting programs, shifting national trends, and the ongoing need faced by over 91,000 waiting patients.
Three Months Post-Kidney Transplant
A three‑month reflection on healing, renewed strength, and the small everyday miracles that mark life after transplant. A story of returning energy, widening freedom, and the steady grace found in each new day.
Things to Have Known Before a Kidney Transplant ~ Jack Fassnacht
This candid reflection from a two‑time kidney transplant recipient pulls back the curtain on the everyday realities that don’t always make it into the medical brochures.
Lifelong Challenges After a Kidney Transplant
Life after a kidney transplant becomes a lifelong classroom where healing, vigilance, and gratitude shape each day and teach me how to live with care and intention.