04/09/2026
We have a new KDA Q&A for you!
Lori donated her kidney in 2020 at the age of 62.
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“My personal journey began when a close friend of mine called me one Sunday evening and said that a woman we worked with had posted on Facebook that she had kidney disease and was asking friends to consider getting tested on her behalf. Kathleen had three children all under the age of 14. I immediately said to, Karen, “I’ll get tested” and that’s how my story began. One important note is that this was just at the beginning of Covid.
After having several conversations with Kathleen, I began the testing process at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. My team consisted of Dr. Ratner (the surgeon who would perform the operation), a nephrologist, social worker and PA. I traveled to the city for several months getting the various tests and answering questions, in hopes that I would be Kathleen’s match. Several months later, I was traveling for work when I received the call stating I was not Kathleen’s match. I was heartbroken, this was something I deeply wanted to do for Kathleen and her family.
Several weeks later and out of the blue, I received a call one afternoon from a doctor on the kidney team stating that during their weekly meeting, my name was brought up as a possible altruistic donor for a woman in her mid-70’s. She had been on the “waiting donor list” for several years. The question I was asked was “would you consider being an altruistic donor?,”, followed by “take your time to decide, this is a very big decision”. I knew at that moment that I didn’t need any time, I was absolutely meant to do this and said “yes”. After sitting tight for several days, I received a second call stating that my test results stated that I was a 10 out of a 10 match for this person.”
Isn’t that amazing? Check out Lori’s full Q&A by clicking the link!
https://kidneydonorathlete.org/2026/04/09/lori/
Thanks, Lori, for the beautiful telling of your story, and for being a member of our community!
This week's Q&A is with Lori! She donated to a stranger in 2020 at the age of 62. She was initially tested to donate to a co-worker, but wasn't a match. Several weeks later, she was asked if she was willing to donate to a stranger, and without hesitation, she agreed.
