"None of this would be possible without my dear donor, Bill Pedlar. Friday, May 9, marked 10 years since my double lung transplant, and I’m so grateful for my donor, Bill, and for his incredible family who honored his wish to be a donor. I was diagnosed with a rare lung disease called Lymphangioleiomyomatosis in 2000 while serving in the Navy. By 2002, I was medically retired, and though doctors said I might need a transplant in five years, I was lucky to make it to 2015 before we got the call. The surgery lasted six and a half hours and kicked off a long road to recovery: nine days in the ICU, 10 more in a step-down unit, and weeks of learning to manage the exhaustion and complex medications. But I was determined to make the most of my second chance. Eight weeks post-transplant, I was back on the tennis court. The following year, I went snorkeling in the Keys. And today, I’m still so blessed to be here, living fully. I’m so grateful for my donor and the beautiful life I am able to enjoy! Please consider saying yes to donation, you could give someone else a second chance at life, too." - Kathleen S. (fb)

"I celebrate my 'kidneyversary' on Oct. 9 every year. A perfect stranger and almost a perfect match donated a kidney to me in 2006. I am blessed, and every day is a bonus. Just an ordinary day is now extraordinary to me!" - Brenda D. (fb)