Why I Donated a Kidney to a Stranger in Iowa
Key takeaways:
Jordan Bennie is a 25-year-old occupational therapy student who donated a kidney to a stranger.
She’s used to being on the other side of the hospital bed, but she decided to flip the script.
She says the experience changed her life for the better.
For Jordan Bennie, the journey to being a kidney donor began when a family friend with a failing kidney posted about kidney donation on Facebook. It ended several months later with her kidney traveling by commercial flight to Iowa.
Well, it didn’t really end. Jordan is still recovering. And, somewhere in Iowa, a teenager is embarking on a new journey of his own: living life with a healthy kidney.
“HIPAA applies, so I am only allowed to know the state, age, and gender of the recipient,” Jordan says. “I really hope one day we are able to connect. Until then, I just hope he is healthy and this kidney is able to give him a better quality of life.”
Jordan, who is finishing her last semester of occupational therapy school in Nashville, hopes to work in a hospital, intensive care unit, or trauma unit with patients who have complex medical needs.
“I have a unique perspective because I have worked with so many patients in the hospital who have been on dialysis and who have been waiting for a kidney,” she says. “Being able to see that need and being able to fulfill that need in a different way propelled me forward on this journey.”
Caregiving comes naturally for the 25-year-old from Atlanta. She also finds it very rewarding.
“Yes, I’ve given my kidney, but I have received so much joy and so much fulfillment from this experience,” she says. “It is quite a gift.”
Making the decision to donate a kidney
Jordan’s friend didn’t just post about his need for a kidney. His Facebook post in spring 2023 shared facts about kidney donation, including wait times for donor kidneys, as well as a name and number for a transplant coordinator.
Her original intent was to donate to him, but by the time she got approved that fall, he’d already received his donor kidney. His life dramatically improved, further inspiring her to continue on her path.
“I got to see the transformation,” she says. ”And knowing those statistics of [the average person waiting] 3 to 5 years for an organ, and here I am happy, healthy, and willing to donate … why wouldn’t I?”
She asked if she could transition her intent to donate to a voucher for the National Kidney Registry. The registry has a system where donors who donate to a stranger can list five family members who, if they ever needed a kidney, would be given priority.
“And the beautiful thing about the National Kidney Registry is they assure you that if your one kidney is in trouble and starts to fail, they will put you at the top of the transplant list,” Jordan says.
Receiving the call that her kidney is needed
Jordan was home with her parents on winter break when her transplant coordinator called to tell her she was a match for a teenager in Iowa.
“It was such a sweet day. I tear up just thinking about it,” she says. “I just remember crying, and she said, ‘Jordan, it gets even better. Because you’ve donated to this recipient, he has a donor who was not able to donate to him but will be donating to somebody else because he’s receiving a kidney.’”
That is truly paying it forward, she says, and she wants that chain to continue.
“I’d love it if this is the gift that keeps on giving,” she says.
Preparing for a kidney transplant
Jordan’s next step was to visit the hospital for lab work and final tests. The surgery was scheduled for January 4, 2024 at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.
She arrived at 5:30AM. By 7AM, she was in the operating room. Before lunchtime, she was in the recovery room.
“I don’t really remember a whole lot in between, but I woke up feeling fine and just tired,” she says. “Overall, it was sweet. I was welcomed into my room with friends and family, which made it really sweet getting to see everyone after it all happened.”
Her kidney? Well, that hopped a commercial flight to Iowa.
“A courier took it to the airport, and it caught a flight to Iowa that same day. And when they received it, he went into surgery and got a new kidney,” she says. “Crazy!”
Just as crazy: Jordan spent only one night in the hospital.
“That’s a big misconception with organ donation, that it’s a long and hard recovery,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to sugarcoat things, because the recovery is, in moments, difficult. However, it’s really, in my eyes, manageable.”
Recovering from a kidney donation
Because of her chosen occupation, Jordan says she felt more prepared for recovery.
The biggest drawback was the fatigue. For the first week, she laid low as her parents cared for her. She took tramadol for pain and ondansetron for nausea. She slowly weaned herself off both, dropping the nausea medication after a couple of days and replacing the pain medication with Tylenol Extra Strength. One lasting effect from her surgery is that she should avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, for the duration of her life.
“Sleeping was a challenge just because I’m a side- and tummy-sleeper, typically,” she says. “Post-surgery, I have only been sleeping on my back, which was a new thing for me, because that was the most comfortable position to be in.”
She says she felt things “shifting in her body” during the first 2 weeks, especially when rolling over in bed. She thinks it was her body adjusting to a missing organ.
By week two, she resumed working but did everything online. By the third week, she felt normal and returned to school in Nashville. She was advised to avoid lifting more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks after surgery.
“There’s more moments in the day where I forget I even had surgery because I just feel so normal,” she says.
After donating a kidney
Jordan wrote a letter to the recipient of her kidney.
“It would be his decision whether he’d want to get in touch with me or to maintain his privacy,” she says. “I would love to be able to connect with him, but I will respect if he wants to remain anonymous.”
Her new mission is spreading the word about kidney donation. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, 25,498 kidneys were transplanted in 2022, a record. Jordan encourages others to research the option.
“You can lead a normal and healthy life with one kidney,” she says. “I don’t have any restrictions after 6 weeks, and my life will not look any different. I’m not sacrificing quality of life.
“It’s changed my life for the better. I was inspired by my family friend getting a kidney, and then I gave my kidney. And, sure enough, somebody else will give their kidney — it’s a domino effect. And I just hope other people will read this story and it’ll spark more dominoes.”
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