An Orem woman is quickly recovering after an operation in October, in which she became a living kidney donor.
“I’ve always been told that you can change the world one person at a time and you should be the change in the world that you want to see,” Sophia Jackson said.
About a year ago, Jackson was in the eastern U.S. on a work trip. She happened to see a news story in which a New York City police officer, Vadrien Alston, talked about needing a new kidney.
“There was just something about Vadrien’s story that, I don’t know, it just triggered that part of me that is ‘this is something you can do to help someone,'" Jackson said.
When Jackson returned to Utah, she contacted the National Kidney Registry to inquire about becoming a living kidney donor.
“I’ve always known my whole life that you can live a perfectly normal and healthy life with just one kidney,” Jackson said.
After undergoing tests, Jackson learned she wasn’t a good match for Alston.
“Oddly enough, I don’t know why, but I was devastated, because I really wanted to help Vadrien,” Jackson said.
That’s when officials with the registry told her about a voucher program. She could still donate her kidney to help Alston and another person.
“Someone donates a kidney into the network so the patient can get a kidney out of the network,” explained Michael Lollo, chief operating officer with the National Kidney Registry.
“Because I wasn’t a direct match for Vadrien, I was able to donate my kidney to the National Kidney Registry pool on her behalf,” explained Alston. “So my physical kidney went to someone else and because of that, I was able to give a voucher to Vadrien. That way, the National Kidney Registry can find her a kidney that’s a better match for her.”
Lollo, who is a living kidney donor himself, said the feeling of donating can be life-changing.
“Almost all of the donors that I have spoken to in the almost four years since I donated, they all say the same thing,” Lollo said. “I guarantee you line up ten donors, nine of them will say the same thing — we wish we had more kidneys to give.”
Jackson said the donation has enriched her own life.
“I feel amazing doing something this great to help someone,” she said. “I’m grateful that I could give someone a whole new lease on life. Not just for them, but for me, because this journey has made me learn a lot about myself in doing this.”
Anyone interested in learning more about living kidney donation, including the prospect of becoming a donor, can visit the National Kidney Registry. Lollo and Jackson encourage people to look into it.
“You find out that the risk to yourself is so small compared to what you could do for somebody else,” he said.
“If it’s even an inkling in your mind that this is something you might want to do, please go and get tested,” Jackson said. “You can live a perfectly normal life with one kidney.”