Christine loved staying active. As a wife and mother to eight-year-old twins, she was always on the go with activities at school, youth soccer and family trips. When she was not caring for or spending time with her family, Christine was busy running her own culinary school and catering events. Christine’s life was full in the best possible way, until the abrupt onset of an autoimmune disease left her kidney function at 10 percent, diminished her once abundant energy, and forced her to put the life she knew on hold.
Suddenly, Christine became exhausted while performing simple tasks, like carrying a basket of laundry up the stairs. Her days were full in a different way: she was frequently at the doctor and endured four-hour dialysis treatments three times a week. It soon became clear that a kidney transplant was Christine’s only hope for survival, and her father, Tom, was ready to help. Tom was not a match, but a kidney paired donation enabled him to donate to another patient whose living donor was a match for Christine.
Living donation made it possible for Christine to resume her normal, always-on-the-go routine. She also feels that her new kidney has both enabled and inspired her to do even more. She is committed to living a healthy lifestyle and can frequently be spotted at the gym or out for a bike ride with her kids. She volunteers in her community, and she no longer puts off doing fun things like traveling. The same is true for her dad, who is feeling so great that he just did some traveling himself—exploring the Alaskan wilderness in an off-the-grid adventure.
