My Kidney Donation Story: Jasmine Duplin

My kidney donation journey started one day in April. I was just scrolling on Facebook and two of my friends had shared a story about a woman named Crystal who was looking for a kidney. I read her whole story and felt so bad for her and was intrigued at the same time.

There was a link that said, “see how you can help,” so I clicked that, and it went to another little mini site, with a mini health assessment. If you passed that assessment, it took you to another site that explained about Donor Shield and the National Kidney Registry, and from there it took you to a screen saying Crystal was working with Hartford Hospital.

I answered all the questions and within two days, someone from Hartford Hospital reached out to me. She explained the living donation process and answered any questions I had. I was also connected to a living donor mentor, who really helped me through the process. The whole thing was so convenient.

I also did a lot of research on my own. I read about people’s experiences, the good and the bad, because I am the kind of person who, if I am going to do something, I am going to be prepared.

I was so proud of myself for passing all the tests. They made absolutely sure I was healthy enough to recover well and continue being healthy after donation. I really appreciated how thorough they were.

I felt really prepared. I had no doubt at all. Going to the dentist really freaks me out but donating my kidney, no problem. My friends were all asking if I was sure, and I was like yup, I’m sure. When I have my mind set on something, no one can stop me.

I wasn’t a match for Crystal, so when I finally got approved to donate, I decided to donate a kidney on her behalf through the Voucher Program. It’s so great because with the Voucher Program, you are in control of when you have your surgery, which I think is a beautiful thing. I could choose when to do it and have time to tell my employer.

That was one thing I was nervous about, because I want to help people, but I also have to pay my mortgage. They told me about Donor Shield, which reimburses living donors for lost wages, and that made a huge difference for me. I was able to take two months off from work to recover, and I knew my lost wages were going to be covered so I would be OK.

I spent three days in the hospital after the surgery and I’m not going to sugarcoat it, it was painful. My son took a week off work to help me recover at home. He made me breakfast and helped me get out of bed and everything, so that really helped.

The first two weeks recovering at home were the hardest. After that I just focused on getting out there and walking. I couldn’t drive, so people took me to the park. Every day I tried to get stronger.

Originally, I took six weeks off from work. But I do a lot of lifting in my job for the American Red Cross. I have to lift equipment, push heavy carts, and load and unload trucks on a daily basis, and I didn’t want to come back to work and get a hernia. My medical team recommended taking an extra two weeks off just in case, and that extra two weeks was so important for me. When I went back to work after two months, I was fine.

In September 2025, it will be two years since my donation and sometimes I forget I did it. A lot of people ask me about it. I always share my personal story and reassure people that there is nothing to be scared of. 

I tell them that you can have a sort of consultation about it if you have questions, and you can also sign up to do it and see where it takes you. You don’t have to do it right now, and you can change your mind at any time. I don’t regret anything. I would definitely tell people to be open to the idea and not to be scared.

There are over 90,000 people in the US waiting for a kidney transplant. To help someone quality of life is such a good feeling, and we only need one kidney to live a normal healthy life.

About the Author

Jasmine grew up in East Haddam, CT, and now lives in Cromwell. She is mom to a 22-year-old son who is her entire world. (Through the donation process, she thought to herself that she hoped a stranger would donate their organ for her child if she couldn’t.) She is a workaholic and spends her life being a mama bear to her own child and her many coworkers and work hubbies at her job. Her personal mission is to spread love and acceptance everywhere she goes. She spent 16 years in retail at Foxwoods Casino and for the past nine years has worked as a collections technician for the Red Cross. Her life is traveling and collecting blood pints across the state of Connecticut.