Donor Registry Liaison

Jen is a living kidney donor, who donated as part of an eight-person chain at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

 

"I donated a kidney in honor of my best friend's dad," Jen says. "But I was not a direct donor. He needed a kidney with Type O blood, so I donated my kidney (I have Type B) to someone else, and he got his kidney through a paired kidney exchange."

 

There were four donors, four recipients, eight surgeons, and four hospitals in four different states that took part in the kidney exchange.

 

"It was my friend's dad's second kidney transplant (his first was in 2004). He only had a 1 percent chance of ever receiving another kidney in his lifetime," Jen says. "He had waited five years for a new kidney. The miracle of life came back to him. What a life changing experience it was for all of us."

 

Jen is passionate about raising awareness of organ and tissue donation from all sources. Her goal is to participate on Team Illinois at the 2024 TGA and to bring more living donors with her!

​