My Kidney Donation Story: Chris Stanley 

I was vaguely familiar with living donation, but I’d never really looked into it. That was until the end of 2022, when the husband of a friend of mine posted on Facebook that he was going to be starting dialysis soon and included a link to the Mayo Clinic for anyone who was interested in the living donor process. 

Eager to help a friend, I clicked the link and ultimately did my tests in February of 2023 to see if I was eligible to donate. Within days of finding out I was healthy enough and had a kidney that could be donated, my friend had found a kidney from a deceased donor. While I was overjoyed that he was able to get a kidney, I was oddly disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to help my friend! I had already caught the bug of giving and thought, I’ve done all this testing, someone is getting my kidney.  

I remembered that my husband’s uncle was on dialysis, but he wasn’t actively looking for a donor. We talked about donating through the Voucher Program because I liked the idea that if for some reason he was not able to use the voucher, someone else on the list could activate it if they were ever in need (my mom has kidney disease, but she doesn’t need a kidney anytime soon). 

They found a match for me, and on September 14, 2023, I completed my donation. 

It was actually a lot easier than I expected. It’s amazing how far science has come: that you can go into a hospital and give away an organ and get discharged 24 hours later is wild to me. The laparoscopic method is amazing too—it’s so cool that the whole surgery was done through two little holes in my abdomen.  

I did have my fair share of side effects, but even with all that it was worth it. The first two weeks of recovery were definitely rough. Three weeks after the surgery, I asked my husband to go on a very light jog around the park with me. I felt great! But then I went home and took a six-hour nap. Getting my energy back to pre-surgery levels took a few months. 

My uncle-in-law hasn’t found a match yet, but it’s exciting that I was able to help somebody out in the meantime. That’s something I really like about the Voucher Program—it gives you something to look forward to. Also, when you’re donating anonymously as part of the Voucher Program, you can activate a chain and help even more people. 

My biggest worry was that I wouldn’t be able to get back in shape after I donated. But once I got some of those energy levels back, I was able to get back into it. I joined the Kidney Donor Athletes group on Facebook and ran the Yates-Astro Revolution 5K Run here in Savannah, Georgia. Not only did I place first in my age group (40–49), but my husband got top in his age group (20–29), and I beat him—which means I managed to beat out the running pace of all the 20-somethings in the race. 

I still have issues with some ab exercises, but I’ve had two hernias, so my core has never been super powerful. Other than that, everything feels normal. 

The whole experience was pretty amazing. If I could, I would absolutely be willing to do it again to help someone else. It’s a small sacrifice to give someone the chance for a longer life and not having to spend hours a day on dialysis. When the surgery is done and the kidney is functioning, giving someone that experience is absolutely worth it. 

About the Author

Chris lives in Savannah, Georgia, with his husband, Hans, and their four cats: Stella, Ninja, Acorn, and Ivy. Outside of his day job in tech, he is an actor and musician who enjoys working with the vibrant theatre community in the city and playing open mics around town. An avid runner, he starts most days with a 5K run through Savannah’s beautiful downtown and river walk.