Donor Diaries
Donor Diaries is a podcast that delves into the beauty and complexity of living organ donation. Tune in to hear extraordinary stories of people who choose to share their organs and give the gift of life. The world of kidney and organ donation is a powerful testament to kindness, love, and the human spirit. With over 90,000 individuals on the kidney transplant waitlist and about 13 people dying each day while waiting, the urgency is real. One in three Americans is at risk for chronic kidney disease, and one in nine already suffers from it, often unknowingly. Donor Diaries offers unfiltered narratives from living donors and candid insights from transplant experts, aiming to elevate the conversation around organ donation. Our goal is to bring this crucial issue to the forefront, so no patient has to wait in vain or suffer needlessly.
Episodes
A living donor says "yes." The transplant center says "no." What happens next?
This week on Donor Diaries, we sit down with Diane Hollingsworth, President and CEO of Eversight, a longtime leader in organ and tissue donation, and a two-time kidney transplant recipient. Diane has spent decades helping restore sight through cornea donation while also navigating the transplant journey herself, giving her a perspective th...
In this episode of Donor Diaries, we sit down with Dr. Amy Waterman, a national leader in transplant health services research and patient engagement at Houston Methodist, to talk about what we know about living donors, and what we are still learning.
Amy has spent her career studying how to help patients and living donors make informed, confident decisions. We talk about why long term living donor research takes deca...
Denice received her father’s kidney at age 13, decades before modern transplant protocols were common and pediatric dialysis existed. Fifty-eight years later, she is still thriving and using her story to inspire others to be donors.
Denice reflects on a childhood shaped by loss, a diagnosis that changed everything, and a mother who refused to accept no as an answer. She shares the extraordinary circumstances th...
Being told you need a kidney transplant is overwhelming. Being told you need to go find your own living donor while managing dialysis can feel impossible. For many veterans, that is exactly how the system works today.
In this episode, we sit down with Sharyn Kreitzer, a living kidney donor and longtime transplant professional with nearly three decades of experience in end stage organ disease. Sharyn began her career ...
You can’t fully understand organ donation until you see what it makes possible. Parents reaching milestones they once thought they might miss. Grandparents meeting grandchildren. Families holding both grief and pride at the same time.
In this episode of Donor Diaries, we take you to the Transplant Games of America, happening June 18 to 23 in Denver. Often described as a “mini Olympics,” the Ga...
What if a simple HR policy could help save someone’s life? In this episode, Brooke Iarkowski, Transplant Community Program Manager at the American Society of Transplantation, shares how paid leave transforms the living donor journey from a financial gamble into a supported reality. Brooke brings over ten years of experience in the transplant and donation field and a deeply personal connection to the mission. W...
One kidney can change many lives—if we let it start a chain. We sit down with Dr. John Friedewald, transplant nephrologist at Northwestern Medicine, to unpack a breakthrough: using a deceased donor kidney to initiate a living donor chain that moves multiple recipients off the waitlist and ultimately delivers a living kidney back to a service member at Walter Reed.
We break down how kidney paired donatio...
In this episode of Donor Diaries, we sit down with transplant recipient Wilson Du and living kidney donor Amy McCann, two people whose stories intertwine through determination, community, and the belief that choosing life is a daily practice.
Wilson spent five and a half years on dialysis before receiving his transplant in 2022. After a doctor told him he needed to lose 100 pounds or forget about a transplant, he con...
Sue Rees returns to share the revolutionary donor protections offered by the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD) that are making kidney donation more accessible and equitable for everyone. As Chief Operating Officer with over 25 years of transplant experience, Sue walks us through the comprehensive "Donor Protect" program designed to eliminate financial barriers while safeguarding donors' futures.
We explore h...
What happens when a transplant surgeon, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, and a willingness to trust strangers come together? A revolution in kidney donation that has saved 20,000 lives and counting.
Meet Dr. Michael Rees and Sue Rees, the power couple behind the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation. In this captivating first installment of our two-part season finale, we journey back to 2007 when kidney paired exchange...
A spiritual calling, a kidney voucher, and two pastors reconnecting after decades apart—this is no ordinary transplant story.
When Jim Pearl was diagnosed with Fabry's disease in 2004, he had no idea his journey would lead him back to Jeff Barker, a seminary friend from the '90s. After five years on dialysis, Jim clung to his mantra: "In the waiting, God is working." Meanwhile, Jeff saw Jim's Facebook p...
What if a casual Sunday scroll through Facebook could save a life? In this heartfelt episode of Donor Diaries, Rich and Cali share the extraordinary story of how a social media post led to a life-saving kidney transplant and an unexpected lifelong connection.
Rich, living with polycystic kidney disease, feared the wait for a deceased donor and the possibility of having to go on dialysis, and took a leap of faith by s...
Join us on Donor Diaries as we welcome Dr. Harry Wilkins, CEO of Gift of Hope, who transitioned from a 36-year career as a trauma surgeon to leading an organ procurement organization in 2020. With his unique perspective as both a physician and an industry leader, Dr. Wilkins offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the complex and deeply personal world of deceased organ donation. From the moment of injury to the life...
Join us as we welcome the extraordinary Mike Lollo, a former NYPD detective whose journey led him to become a passionate advocate for kidney donation. Mike's life took an inspiring turn in 2018 when he donated his kidney to a stranger. He shares his remarkable story with us, reflecting on how chance encounters with people like Ned Brooks shaped his mission to transform lives through the power of living d...
Join us as we sit down with Marilyn Day, a founding member of Transplant Village and a two-time kidney recipient who has dedicated over a decade to guiding others through the transplant journey.
In this episode, Marilyn shares how her personal story highlights the transformative power of sharing your journey to inspire action and find living donors within your social network. Discover how platforms like Facebook and ...
In this episode, Anthony Cernera, a three-time living organ donor, opens up about his transformative journey of giving and personal healing. His story began with a simple Facebook post that sparked a deep desire to help others, leading him to donate a portion of his liver, kidney, and stem cells. These selfless acts not only changed the lives of his recipients but also had a profound impact on Anthony's own mental h...
What would compel an American living in Germany to navigate a labyrinth of legal and cultural barriers to donate a kidney to a stranger? Join us as we uncover the incredible story of Will Johnson, whose altruistic journey sheds light on the stark contrasts between organ donation practices in the US and Germany. In this episode, recorded in a charming house near Munich, we reveal Germany's current regulations surroun...
How old is too old to save a life? At the age of 74, Tom Duncan defied societal norms to become America's oldest non-directed living kidney donor, and his story will change the way you think about aging and altruism. Join us for an intimate conversation from his serene home in Ruidoso, New Mexico, where Tom recounts the journey that began with a friend's struggle with dialysis and led him to a life-altering decision...
Imagine stepping into a world where giving the gift of life is made more accessible to all. That's the transformative journey we embark on with Ruby Rorty and Rachel Watson in the latest episode of Donor Diaries, as they share the details of a program called Project Donor. Ruby, from Stephen Levitt’s Center for RISC, shares the program's genesis and its profound impact on the healthcare sector's donor el...
Imagine opening your heart to a complete stranger in one of the most profound ways possible. That's exactly what our guests, Josiah Wolfson and Kat Gordon, did when they each made the life-affirming decision to donate a kidney to someone they'd never met. Their compelling stories of self-discovery and transformation are sure to resonate deeply, as they recount the moments that led them to donate.
Josiah, a form...
Popular Podcasts
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.