Faces of Hope

Loletha Glover, Charlotte Recipient

Loletha Glover, e-Business senior analyst, owes her life to the person who donated his kidney to her in 1992. Now, she wants to encourage others, particularly African Americans, to consider being organ donors and hopes that sharing her story about being a kidney recipient can help.

Loletha's account of how a kidney transplant changed her life is being shared as part of a national outreach campaign targeted to African Americans, the first such campaign ever. While African Americans comprise 35% of the patients on the national kidney transplant waiting list, they account for just 13% of all organ donors, according to Donate Life. Since the likelihood of a successful transplant increases when organ donors and recipients are from the same ethnic and racial group, it is important to increase the number of donors of all heritages.

For Loletha, the wait for a new kidney began in 1988. She was in end-stage renal failure, and her kidneys were essentially shutting down. For almost four years, she carried a pager, waiting to be notified that a kidney was available. Meanwhile, she underwent dialysis five times a day. Even though the treatment was physically exhausting, she continued to work and to hope for a new kidney. "The pager was my lifeline," Loletha recalled. Three times, she was paged about a new kidney, only to find that it wasn't a match. But finally, in September 1992, she received word that a compatible kidney was available, and she underwent a transplant shortly thereafter.

Loletha, who has been with Bank of America since 1998, is now married and has a daughter. "I feel like a brand new person," she said. "All of this was possible because one wonderful person decided to donate his organs." Do you have the heart to help?

Holly Howell, Charlotte Transplant

As a casework technician in vocational rehabilitation, Holly Howell has a tremendous amount of empathy for the people she counsels daily. Holly herself has been on disability.

In fact, Holly's story begins at age six when she was diagnosed with diabetes. For more than thirty years, she took insulin, watched her diet all the right treatments. But in 1999, the wear and tear on her kidneys led to end-stage renal failure. She was in dire need of a transplant. Until the right match would be found, she would endure dialysis three times a week, four-hours a session. Because of the severity of her diabetes, doctors also encouraged a pancreas transplant. That meant two transplants.

Three long years later on May 24, 2002 at precisely 3:30 a.m. she finally got the call. She was immediately in touch with a friend of a friend who owned a private plane. He flew her to Richmond, Virginia in the middle of the night. She had both transplants simultaneously within the same day.

Holly calls her transplant a miracle. "As a little girl, I prayed for a life without diabetes. At last it came true." She continued, "you can have a second chance at life."

Today, Holly has been using her second chance to give hope to others who remain on the waiting list for an organ transplant. She was a guest speaker at the press conference of the Heart Prevails legislation. She also has worked the Collier Lilly Ride 4 Life. "I get up every day and thank God I'm here and in a position where I can help people," she said. How about you? Do you have the heart to help?

Josh Michael, Asheville Recipient

Josh Michael, Assistant Program and on-air talent at STAR 104.3, is a passionate voice for Donate Life North Carolina. Not surprising, considering all he's been through. When Josh was 18 he went in for a physical. A few tests and an ultra sound later, Josh learned he was born with only one kidney. At the time, the single organ was serving him fine. Six years later, the situation changed. As you can imagine, Josh, still a very young man in his 20s, was in total shock. As was his family. His uncles, great aunt and mother were all tested to see if they could be Josh's donor. None were compatible. Finally they tested his younger brother, Aaron. The match was perfect, as if they were twins. Five months later, on the date of March 7, 2006, Josh and Aaron underwent the surgery. The transplant was a success. Today, Josh is living proof of the critical and overwhelming importance of donation.

However, since Josh didn't receive his kidney through Donate Life, you may be asking yourself why he spends so much of his time speaking out for the cause? "During my five month preparation for the transplant I spent a lot of time in medical clinics," says Josh. "I met many great people who were not as fortunate as I. They waited day after day. I just couldn't imagine how that felt. Not knowing." Josh considers himself extremely blessed to have Aaron as both a brother and his donor. And to be alive today. Of course, Donate Life North Carolina feels blessed to have Josh donating so much of his time and talent to help the 3,000 people still on the North Carolina transplant waiting list. Do you too have the heart to help?