My Kidney Donor
A note from Dawn...
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DAWN LUNSFORD KANARISH KIDNEY DONOR I am sure you would wonder how a person could arrive at the decision to undergo surgery and share an organ with a stranger. For me, it started at one of my favorite restaurants: Tierra, on Piedmont Road (www.tierrarestaurant.com). While I didn’t know him personally, the owner, Dan, had polycystic kidney disease and needed a transplant. He and his wife had taken their need to the public. He placed an ad in the AJC seeking a willing person and donor match. I am fortunate to have and enjoy good health, I thought, and just having a familiar face connecting to the need was enough to motivate me. Unfortunately, it turned out that I was not the correct match, but he was able to find someone else that was. After seeing the result of Dan's much improved health, I figured if I could offer my kidney to Dan, I could offer it to someone else just the same. And here we are. My unplanned meeting with Anita was proof that I had made the right decision, and my kidney went to the right person. Wishing you good health and long-life, Anita Harper!
On January 27, 2011, I made an undirected kidney donation on January 27, 2011 (meaning I let the selection of the recipient be determined by someone else). The procedure went well and while attending my post-op appointment, by sheer coincidence, I met Anita Harper, the recipient of my kidney. Anita was so thrilled that she and I were a match! She had been on dialysis 5 days a week for 7 years and now she is completely off dialysis and says she feels 10 years younger. Hooray for modern medicine. We are both doing great! (Picture on the left was taken 3 months after transplant.)
But the story does not end there...
Dawn continues to bless individuals on Facebook with her story of life and expression of LOVE through her unselfish deeds, hoping to inspire and encourage others to do the same. Thank you so much Dawn for what you’ve done for me and continue to do daily to bless other others.
