Save This Mom's Life!
Please Help Linda Find a Living Kidney Donor
Gracias por estar aquí.
Hoy por ti, mañana por mí.
Please Save My Mom
Living Kidney Donor Needed
Linda Spent Her Life Helping People Through Their Most Difficult Moments. Now She Needs Your Help.
Please Save My Mom
Please Save My Wife
Please Save My Sister
Please Save My Friend
TESTIMONIAL
“Linda has been a kind listener, a wise sounding board, and a generous neighbor to me and my dog. Everyone should have neighbors as kind and gracious as Linda and Jack.” — Neighbor and friend
Donors' Top 5 Questions
What are the real risks of donating a kidney? Will this shorten my life?
Kidney donation is major surgery and, like any surgery, the risk isn't zero. However, based on the latest research, the risk is in the range of a tonsillectomy or appendectomy. For the latest research, see Q&A under Donor Protect 360.
How can I survive with one kidney?
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.
What if something happens to my remaining kidney after donation?
Northwestern Medicine partners with the National Kidney Registry or Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation. Both partners provide a "lifetime safety net" so, in the rare case something happens to your kidney, you are prioritized for a new living kidney.
I can't afford medical costs, "time off" from work and the out-of-pocket expenses.
First, your medical expenses are covered by the patient's insurance. Second, the donation process is designed to be "cost neutral." That means you are reimbursed for lost wages and expenses through your transplant hospital's partnership with the National Kidney Registry or Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation.
The chances I'm a match seem small. Why bother at all?
Not a match? Doesn't matter - you still save the patient's life through "paired kidney donation" and maybe even more!
Watch CBS News and see a real kidney donor explain how it works.
A Letter From Linda
However you found this page, I believe there's a reason you are here.
People cross paths for a reason. It may be curiosity. It may be shared values. Sometimes we understand why right away. Sometimes the reason becomes clear later. Either way, I am grateful that you let me share part of my life's journey with you.
Before anything else, I want you to know who I am.
I am a wife, mother, grandmother, psychologist, animal lover, and someone who has spent most of my life helping others heal. My family is the center of my world. My husband Jack has been my love, my friend, my rock, and my protector through every season of life. My children, grandchildren, and blended family are among my greatest joys.
People who know me say I'm an animal person. Each stage of my life has been touched by animals, each with a personality and place in my heart. Dogs were part of my life from childhood. I bred and showed Persian cats. Bud Bird, our African Grey parrot, kept us laughing for years. Trooper, my Shih Tzu, came to my psychology office every day as a therapy dog, and Thor, our Great Pyrenees, brought a gentle, protective calm to everyone around him.
My life’s work grew from a simple calling: I wanted to help people. As a psychologist, I worked with children and adults who suffered severe trauma. My clients humbled me. They taught me courage, strength, and what it means to keep trying even when life has been painfully hard.
As you see the pictures of my life, I hope you see me less like a kidney patient, and more like a woman who loved deeply, worked hard, cared for others - and still has a fire for living.
Thank you for being here, for reading about my life, and for helping my story travel farther than I could ever carry it alone.
— Linda
TESTIMONIAL
“Linda is one of the most caring, genuine, and resilient people I know. Even while facing serious health challenges, she continues to show strength, positivity, kindness, and concern for others.” — Friend
Watch why donation really matters
Anyone Can Be A Living Kidney Donor
TESTIMONIAL
“Linda has been bright, funny, loving, and unforgettable for as long as I can remember. She has spent her life giving, and now she needs someone who can give to her.” — Sister
Have You Ever Seen a MIRACLE Happen?
TESTIMONIAL
“Linda and Jack have become an important part of my life. Even while facing serious challenges of their own, they have shown me kindness, warmth, humor, and gratitude.” — Neighbor and friend
TESTIMONIAL
“My sister Linda is still the little girl I adored — full of spirit, love, humor, and heart. She is deeply loved, and I pray that someone will be led to help save her life.” — Sister