My name is Linda Walker, and I am a kidney donor and recipient. I’m married to Charles Walker and we have two children and one grandson.
In 1998, my brother needed a kidney transplant. Out of my eight siblings, I was a perfect match. I went through several weeks of testing. On March 31, 1998, I donated my kidney to my brother at the Buffalo General Hospital in Buffalo, NY.
Then in 2004, I had a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) in my leg which landed me in the intensive care unit for a few days. At this time, I was diagnosed with lupus, along with many other health issues that I’m coping with: hypertension, high cholesterol, and hyperthyroidism.
In 2015, my kidney began to fail, and I was placed on the top of the transplant list due to the fact that I was previously a kidney donor. On October 29, 2015, I was supposed to start dialysis, but instead, I received a call around 5:00 AM saying that they had a kidney for me.
Before the transplant, I was taking 40 pills a day, but now I’m taking 14 pills a day. I visit the transplant clinic once a year and everything is fine. I’m enjoying my life due to my donor. There were four others waiting for organs from him (he donated all his organs). I would like to thank God, the late Dr. Rocco Venuto, Dr. Sujatha, and my donor and his family. I’m truly blessed and forever grateful.
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