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
41 episodes
DOVE: Changing How Veterans Find Kidney Donors | EP 40
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 ...
The Transplant Games of America: Where Donation Comes Alive | EP 39
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. ...
Workplace Support That Changes Everything | 38
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 fina...
From One Kidney To Many | EP 37
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 m...
Choosing Life: Renal Warriors Wilson & Amy | EP 36
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.
Kidney Pledges, Pet Care, and Paychecks: The Unexpected Support System for Living Donors with the APKD | EP 35
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...
Building a Legacy of Life: The Origins of the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation | EP 34
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...
2 Pastors and a Kidney Voucher | EP 33
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 Je...
Could a Facebook Scroll Save Your Life? | EP 32
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 unexpec...
The Gift of Hope with Dr. Harry Wilkins | EP 31
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 physi...
Transporting Second Chances- When Kidneys Fly | EP 30
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.&nb...
Find Your Kidney Donor Now: Taking Charge of Your Journey with Marilyn Day | EP 29
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 per...
Healing, Sobriety, and Connection with Triple Donor Anthony Cernera | EP 28
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 d...
German Kidney Exchange: Crossing Oceans to Give the Gift of Life | EP 27
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 sta...
A Senior Donor’s Unwavering Generosity | EP 26
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 con...
Living Donors: Shedding Pounds to Save Lives | EP 25
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...
Discovering the Unexpected Rewards of Donating a Kidney to a Stranger | EP 24
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...
Nutcracker Kidneys with LJ the Medium | EP 23
LJ Dong, also known as LJ the Medium, embodies resilience and determination in her journey with Nutcracker Syndrome. Despite facing significant health challenges, LJ's refusal to discard her kidney led her on a remarkable path toward organ dona...
Tax Credits Can Save Lives | EP 22
Imagine a world where living kidney donors are compensated for their life-saving gift. A world where a severe shortage of kidneys doesn't result in the preventable deaths of over a million Americans. In this riveting dialogue, we're joined by f...
Diane Lee Reporting Live with 1 Kidney | EP 21
Diane Lee Reporting Live with 1 Less KidneyDiane Lee is an Emmy nominated anchor and two-time Emmy Award winning reporter with more than 20 years of broadcast news experience.Diane is currently the
Transcending Borders: International Kidney Exchange with Dr. Satish Nadig | EP 20
There’s a wide range of reasons why kidney transplant is available to some, but not all. Imagine the lives that could be saved worldwide if we organized a globally inclusive kidney exchange. What could be possible if we could break ...
Coffee and Kidneys with Al Roth | EP 19
Exchanging kidneys is a complicated process that involves multiple collaborations between kidney patients, living donors, transplant centers, insurance companies, airlines and more. It’s truly remarkable if you stop to think about the num...
The Bionic Man | EP 18
Meet Phillip Hanks, a walking miracle! Philip had his first liver transplant in 2007 and lived an active life. Then in 2019, extreme pain sent him back to the hospital where he received horrifying news. Not only did he need a new l...
Effective Altruism and Kidney Donation With Dylan Matthews | EP 17
Do you ever stop to think about the effectiveness of the time and attention you put towards making a difference? We all have the power to make the world a better place, but what could be possible if we all put more thought into maximizin...
Altruists and Psychopaths with Abby Marsh | Ep 16
Have you ever wondered why some people have a powerful drive to donate a kidney or liver to a stranger, while others would never consider such a thing?Professor Abigail Marsh has spent over a decade answering this question through studie...