Inspired to Educate and Donate | Kelly's Story

In 2007, when my mom suddenly passed at the age of 61, it inspired me to I become an advocate and speaker for Gift of Life Donor Program, the nation’s leading organ and tissue procurement organization. Though I knew this work would be meaningful, I didn’t realize then just how significantly this volunteer role would change my life.

My Mom’s Organ Donation, My Inspiration

My mom was an organ donor, and knowing the impact of her gifts to others provided our family with peace and hope during a time of tremendous pain and loss. She helped two men with her kidneys, another two with her corneas, and over 50 other individuals through her tissues.

At her funeral, I stood in front of friends and family and was asked how I was staying so strong. I said, “It’s simple. It is impossible to ask ‘why me’ when the answer is so clear. These people needed her even more than I did.” It was an honor to be a donor family member, and I felt I found my true calling in volunteering my time to share her story. Educating our community on organ and tissue donation was so important to me, yet my true purpose was still to come.

Deciding to Donate

In November 2018, a dear friend of mine called seeking information for her friend Rok who had been told he would be put on the kidney transplant waitlist. She asked me to connect her to social workers and other transplant recipients to help her friend through this process. I was happy to provide resources, but I decided this time, that wasn’t enough. As we were about to end the call, I asked about his blood type. Shortly after, I found myself filling out living donor paperwork for a man I had never met, and yet it felt like the most natural thing to do.

Rok’s wife texted me that evening. I remember feeling a great weight — I wasn’t even sure if I would even be a match for her husband. Her reply will always stay with me: “It doesn’t matter if you are a match or not. The fact that you were willing to step forward and even try gives us so much hope.”

A few weeks passed after filling out the forms, we were coming up on the anniversary of my mom’s passing. I remember sitting in my living room, looking up, and asking “When will I hear something, mom?” I could feel her say, “Today, Kelly. It will be today.” An hour later, I received a call from a Penn Medicine nurse to set up my first visit to the Penn Transplant Institute and begin the kidney living donor testing. I told her I could come in whenever they had an appointment open, and she offered the following Friday at 10 am - 11 years to the day and time of my mom’s funeral. I knew this was meant to be.

Shortly after that first visit to Penn in December of 2018 — still months before we’d complete the evaluation process — I met Rok in person for the very first time. He joined my family and close friends for dinner along with his wife, Sunghee, and their teenage sons. The connection between us, and our families, was undeniable — we were brought together for a reason. That night we celebrated over food, laughter, and even some tears. My eldest turned to me that evening and said, “If you can’t help him, then someone else needs to. They are the nicest family I have ever met.” I too, was determined to help him.

Living Donation Changed Both Our Lives

By May of 2019, I had completed all steps in the kidney donor evaluation, and Rok and I were waiting to hear if our respective transplant teams were going to approve us for surgery. When I received the call from Penn, I couldn’t stop smiling and asked if I could be the one to share the news with Rok. I sent Rok and his wife the following text:

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
It’s official
I have a kidney for you!

Our transplant date was June 18, 2019. I was terrified, not about losing a kidney or of having a complication, but that my kidney wouldn’t be the answer we were so hoping for. The morning of surgery, both Rok and I woke up and looked to our respective families and wondered, “Are they okay?” It has been over two years since a stranger became family. Our families are so much more than just okay. Rok is experiencing life with a fully functioning kidney for the first time in years. Shortly after recovering from surgery, he was hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking with his sons and living each day as the gift it is. Watching his entire family’s life change and knowing I played a part in that evokes a feeling I can’t adequately put into words. It’s a miracle, and the power and impact of this experience has changed not only Rok’s life, but also mine.

Our families are forever linked, and I can’t imagine my life without them. I will always be grateful for that phone call a few years ago. I gave up a kidney and gained a brother.