Kidney donor decided to give — not receive — for her 50th birthday
Kidney donor decided to give — not receive — for her 50th birthday
By: UCLA CORE Kidney Health Program (Click here to read full article)
For her 50th birthday, Cynthia Palmquist donated a kidney to a stranger through the National Kidney Registry’s kidney exchange program. The stranger was Everett Verigan, 39. He had been waiting four years for a kidney transplant.
Last month, Cynthia and Everett, pictured above with their UCLA Health physicians, were honored as special guests at a Los Angeles Lakers game. She is 5 feet tall, and he is 6-foot-3, but the kidney is a perfect match. During National Donate Life Month in April, we’re helping to raise awareness about organ donation by sharing their story.
UCLA Health takes kidney exchange a step further with its Kidney Voucher Program. Established in 2014, the program allows donors to receive a long-term voucher for a family member’s future kidney transplant. More than 1,160 kidneys have been donated through the program.