Jessica Fields, who has been working at Nipro as a finish ware attendant in our glass plant in Westport, Indiana (USA) since January 2021, always has a smile on her face. In December 2021, she brought a smile to another’s life by deciding to become a living donor. Following an appeal by her friend on Facebook for a kidney donation, Jessica made the selfless decision to donate one of hers.
Here is her story, in her own words:
Asking a friend or family member to consider donating a kidney is a very difficult task. In February of 2021 a friend of mine made a post on Facebook, asking for anyone to consider donating a kidney. I went home and spoke to my husband about it. He was surprised that I was considering such a thing. I then commented on my friend’s post to send me the information needed to start the process. Following this, lab work and testing was done. We found out that I was a perfect match. On December 8th, my friend got her new kidney. I have been asked by several people including the doctors why I wanted to be a living donor. I have no reason other than I had a friend that was in need, I had a chance to change a life, not save one. Many of us have the ability to change a life. This was my chance, and I took it.
Finding a kidney donor is not easy. There are currently over 100,000 people waiting for a deceased donor kidney on the organ transplant list. The wait time for a kidney transplant is anywhere between 4-10 years depending on where you live. However, the alternative to receiving a deceased donor kidney is receiving a kidney from a living donor which significantly reduces the wait time. The living donor kidney typically lasts longer and has better function.
