Living Donors

Today was mainly a rest day, so I didn’t do too much. I did meet a wonderful man today. My Aunt Amy, also my welcoming committee, send me an article a few weeks ago about Carroll Sharp. Mr. Sharp is a known “do-gooder” in Jacksonville. Since he retired from work he’s been even busier. He volunteers two days a week at the Mayo Clinic from 8am to noon. He shows up 3 hours early every time because he knows people will show up early and will need help! He even came to meet me even though his ride he was biking in was cancelled.

He was a great person to talk to, but I wanted to meet him for one specific reason. He donated his kidney to a stranger when he was 72-years-old! We need many more people like Mr. Sharp in this world!

Many people either don’t know that it’s possible donate one of your kidneys or think that they would be negatively effected the rest of your life. Mr. Sharp is proof that both of those worries are not true. He told me more than once that he is just living and enjoying life to the fullest! My parents and my younger brother are three others who are proof that living donation works.

My mother gave me her kidney 33 years ago. My father gave me his kidney 25 years ago. My brother gave me his kidney 20 years ago. They are all doing great. They just have cool scars to show off. My parents scars are much larger and they might be missing some ribs, but they donated before laparoscopic surgery.

Being a donor is relatively easy in today’s medical world. Doctors won’t let you donate if it will effect your health now or later in life. You must be healthy enough to do it. Donors are treated better than the recipients who receive the kidney. I’ve seen this first hand. You are helping save a life, they make sure you are comfortable. Donors are usually out of the hospital in days and back to work in weeks. Most importantly, you’ve saved a life! You have given a person a life again. If you donate to a stranger you might even save MANY lives! Click this link to learn more about the entire process.

This is why I am doing my Sharedays. There are A LOT of people waiting for kidneys (more than 100,000). Everyone has two kidneys, but you can live a perfectly normal life with one. Why not help someone in need? Mr. Sharp did. If you think you’d be a good candidate, please think it over. You could give someone a life again and even make a new best friend!