While waiting in line with my husband to get apple cider donuts, I noticed a sign on the wall of the little building. The sign advertised the need of a kidney donor with the same type of blood that I have. I looked at the sign for a minute, and then pointed it out to my husband, and told him I always thought if I had a chance to donate an organ, I would. I asked him what he thought, and he told me it was my body and he supported me in whatever I wanted to do.
When we reached the counter, we ordered donuts, and I asked about the sign. They took my name and phone number and that evening I got a phone call from the person in need of a kidney. I explained who I was, that I was interested in finding out if we were compatible, and explained a few weird medical things I had that might make us incompatible.
That was October of 2018. On August 6, 2020, my husband and I traveled to New York, and I donated a kidney. Yes, that was a big gap from when we started the process to when they finally did the surgery, but we lived in different states, and the hospital my recipient went to had to run new tests to make sure everything was still good on my recipient’s end. The hospital wasn’t particularly speedy, which frustrated us both, but it also gave us time to develop a wonderful friendship—one that continues to this day.
Why am I sharing all of this? Because that October day, the plan was to take the kids to a corn maze, pick up some pumpkins and some donuts. Not to sign me up to be a kidney donor. But that’s sometimes how it happens.
According to organdonor.gov, approximately 103,200 women, men, and children are waiting on an organ. Approximately 90,000 of those are waiting for a kidney. I know it sounds crazy to say, but donating a kidney was such an easy thing for me to do. It gave me a tiny scar I can barely see anymore, a friend for life. And it gave someone their life back.
Consider being an organ donor and Share Your Spare!
Happy National Donor Day!
E.S.
Esmeralda Stone 
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