Please Save My Sister!
Living Kidney Donor Needed
Pictures paint the story of this incredible woman
Hoy por ti, mañana por mi
Save My Sister
Living Kidney Donor Needed
Please Save My Sister
Please Save My Friend
Please Save My Advocate
Please Save My Human
Testimonial
“My sister fights every single day, even when she is exhausted and scared. A transplant would give her hope, more time with the people who love her, and the opportunity to keep making a positive impact on everyone around her.” — Holly's Sister
Donors' toughest questions and answers
What are the real risks of donating a kidney? Will this shorten my life?
Any surgery carries risk. Here are real numbers from recent medical research, comparisons to other common procedures and the reasons why.
The mortality rate for kidney donation is 9 in 100,000 per the latest research (2022), down from 30 in 100,000 (2009). Transplant surgery is about as safe as a tonsillectomy (30 in 100,000 for adults), a bit safter than an appendectomy (40 in 100,000 adults age 55, 120 in 100,000 adults age 65), and much safer than elective surgeries in a hospital (300 in 100,000). Why? Better surgical techniques, selection screening and medicines.
The medical standard used by kidney transplant hospitals for donors is called "Net-Zero Harm." That means a donor only gets approved for donation if your predicted risk of developing kidney failure in the future is no higher than a healthy person who never donated. How does a transplant hospital do that? Extensive evaluation - metabolic, imaging, cancer screening, cardiovascular and genetic testing. So, only the healthiest people get approved. That's why Johns Hopkins research shows that living kidney donors live as long as "health non-donors." It's not because kidney transplant makes them healthier. It's because of "selection bias" or the "Healthy Donor Effect" - that's how careful and comprehensive the evaluation process is.
But I was born with two kidneys. How can I survive with only one?
That's true, but our kidneys are the ONLY organ in the human body with a built-in spare. After donation, your remaining kidney grows up to 20% and takes over the job of two. In fact, about 1 in 750 people are born with one kidney and lead perfectly normal lives.
OK, let's say I donate, but something happens to my remaining kidney. Am I just stuck?
Not at all. As a precaution, when you go through evaluation, ask your transplant coordinator about working with the National Kidney Registry or Alliance for Paired Kidney Exchange. These organizations provide prioritization for a new living kidney - it's like going to the "front of the line" - if something happens to your kidney. The median waiting time for a new living kidney with the National Kidney Registry is 1.8 months.
But the risk of something happening to the remaining kidney of a donor is not common. It is significantly lower than an average non-donor in the general population per the National Institutes of Health.
I'm not rich. Even if I'm cleared for donation, I can't afford "time off" from work, medical costs and out-of-pocket expenses. Can anyone help with these costs?
First, your medical expenses are covered by Holly's insurance. Second, the financial impact of your donation is designed to be "cost neutral." That means you are reimbursed for lost wages and a range of out-of-pocket costs through your transplant hospital's partnership with the National Kidney Registry or Alliance for Paired Kidney Exchange. A transplant hospital coordinator will provide you with full details.
A Letter From Holly
I am art museums, loud music, beach sand, horror movies, farmers markets, local shops, big laughs, loyal friends, and Ruby my dog riding along for the adventure.
I love anything art and music. I could spend an entire day in an art museum and be completely happy. I love quiet moments too — reading, relaxing, walking through a vendor fair, supporting local shops, or simply being in the same room with the people I love. Sometimes that is enough.
My dog, Ruby, goes almost everywhere with me. One of my favorite places is Beverly Shores, where we walk in the sand and get close to Lake Michigan. I love the ocean too, though I only go so far in. Between sharks and my double lung transplant, I am perfectly fine staying near shore.
I also love horror movies and thrillers, which probably says something about me. I can be scared of heights — at one point, even the second floor of a mall was a problem — but I have learned something important about fear: you can be scared and still keep going.
That has been a theme in my life.
In 2021, I received a double lung transplant that saved my life. That gift gave me more time, more purpose, and a deeper commitment to organ donation advocacy. Since then, I have tried to use my story to support others facing transplant, organ failure, and the long emotional road of waiting.
People who love me know I do not give up. I have overcome more than most people see. I am stronger than I look, more stubborn than I probably admit, and giving up has never been in my vocabulary.
Now I need help again.
The medications that protected my transplanted lungs have damaged my kidneys, and I now need a living kidney donor.
A kidney transplant would give me more time — time with Ruby, time with my friends who are family, time for art and music and beach walks, time to keep advocating, time to keep laughing, time to keep showing up for the people I love.
I have already been given one lifesaving gift.
Now I am asking for another chance to keep living this loud, weird, beautiful, stubborn life of mine.
— Holly
Watch why donation really matters
Testimonial
“I have known Holly since we were kids, and I have watched her face serious health challenges with dignity and grace. Even at her lowest, she has remained a tireless advocate for other transplant recipients. Holly deserves this chance.” — Lifelong friend
Anyone Can Be A Living Kidney Donor
Testimonial
“In 30 years of friendship, I have never met a more optimistic person than Holly. No matter what she has been through or is going through, she finds the strength and determination to make each day count.” — Longtime friend
Donor Safety Facts: Important Financial Protections
Kidney Replacement Guarantee
Though extremely rare, if anything happens to your kidney after donation, you go to the front of the line for a new living donor kidney!
What About Medical Costs and Insurance?
Your medical costs are covered 100% by Holly's insurance.
How Safe is Donating a Kidney?
- About the same as an Tonsillectomy
- About the same as an Appendectomy
Things are Tight Financially for me. I'm not sure I can afford to take time off.
You are compensated for lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses (travel, meals and lodging). Northwestern's intent is your donation is cost-neutral.
I'm Afraid Donating a Kidney Could Shorten My Life!
First, screening tests are extensive, so if Northwestern finds a risk now - or in your future - you won't be allowed to donate. Second, donors that make it through testing live longer than the general population - 29% longer in one study - due to "selection bias"! In other words, only the healthiest candidates make it through testing. See research from the National Kidney Registry - Click here!
Have You Seen a Miracle Happen? Watch This!
Testimonial
“Holly never stops advocating for organ donation, not only for herself, but for everyone traveling the difficult road of waiting for a donor. A kidney match would not only change Holly’s life, it would allow her to continue being a strong voice for others.” — Friend
Testimonial
“Holly is a pillar of strength — selfless, golden-hearted, and full of love and light. Even when she is having a harder day than anyone around her, she is still the first person to make you laugh, lighten the mood, and feel better about yourself.” — Friend