Donor Diaries
Laurie Lee
Publishing Details
About This Podcast
Donor Diaries is a podcast that delves into the beauty and complexity of living organ donation. Tune in to hear extraordinary stories of people who choose to share their organs and give the gift of life. The world of kidney and organ donation is a powerful testament to kindness, love, and the human spirit.
With over 90,000 individuals on the kidney transplant waitlist and about 13 people dying each day while waiting, the urgency is real. One in three Americans is at risk for chronic kidney disease, and one in nine already suffers from it, often unknowingly.
Donor Diaries offers unfiltered narratives from living donors and candid insights from transplant experts, aiming to elevate the conversation around organ donation. Our goal is to bring this crucial issue to the forefront, so no patient has to wait in vain or suffer needlessly.
Podcasting 2.0 Features
Social Media
Explore Statistics
Recent Episodes
S4E3 Workplace Support That Changes Everything | 38
Send a textWhat if a simple HR policy could help save someone’s life? In this episode, Brooke Iarkowski, Transplant Community Program Manager at the American Society of Transplantation, shares how…
S4E2 From One Kidney To Many | EP 37
Send a textOne kidney can change many lives—if we let it start a chain. We sit down with Dr. John Friedewald, transplant nephrologist at Northwestern Medicine, to unpack a breakthrough: using a…
S4E1 Choosing Life: Renal Warriors Wilson & Amy | EP 36
Send a textIn this episode of Donor Diaries, we sit down with transplant recipient Wilson Du and living kidney donor Amy McCann, two people whose stories intertwine through determination, community,…
S3E10 Kidney Pledges, Pet Care, and Paychecks: The Unexpected Support System for Living Donors with the APKD | EP 35
Send a textSue Rees returns to share the revolutionary donor protections offered by the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD) that are making kidney donation more accessible and equitable for…
S3E9 Building a Legacy of Life: The Origins of the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation | EP 34
Send a textWhat happens when a transplant surgeon, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, and a willingness to trust strangers come together? A revolution in kidney donation that has saved 20,000 lives and…
S3E8 2 Pastors and a Kidney Voucher | EP 33
Send a textA spiritual calling, a kidney voucher, and two pastors reconnecting after decades apart—this is no ordinary transplant story.When Jim Pearl was diagnosed with Fabry's disease in 2004, he…
S6E7 Could a Facebook Scroll Save Your Life? | EP 32
Send a textWhat if a casual Sunday scroll through Facebook could save a life? In this heartfelt episode of Donor Diaries, Rich and Cali share the extraordinary story of how a social media post led to…
S3E6 The Gift of Hope with Dr. Harry Wilkins | EP 31
Send a textJoin us on Donor Diaries as we welcome Dr. Harry Wilkins, CEO of Gift of Hope, who transitioned from a 36-year career as a trauma surgeon to leading an organ procurement organization in…
S3E5 Transporting Second Chances- When Kidneys Fly | EP 30
Send a textJoin us as we welcome the extraordinary Mike Lollo, a former NYPD detective whose journey led him to become a passionate advocate for kidney donation. Mike's life took an inspiring turn in…
S3E4 Find Your Kidney Donor Now: Taking Charge of Your Journey with Marilyn Day | EP 29
Send a textJoin us as we sit down with Marilyn Day, a founding member of Transplant Village and a two-time kidney recipient who has dedicated over a decade to guiding others through the transplant…
S3E3 Healing, Sobriety, and Connection with Triple Donor Anthony Cernera | EP 28
Send a textIn this episode, Anthony Cernera, a three-time living organ donor, opens up about his transformative journey of giving and personal healing. His story began with a simple Facebook post…
S3E2 German Kidney Exchange: Crossing Oceans to Give the Gift of Life | EP 27
Send a textWhat would compel an American living in Germany to navigate a labyrinth of legal and cultural barriers to donate a kidney to a stranger? Join us as we uncover the incredible story of Will…
S3E1 A Senior Donor’s Unwavering Generosity | EP 26
Send a textHow old is too old to save a life? At the age of 74, Tom Duncan defied societal norms to become America's oldest non-directed living kidney donor, and his story will change the way you…
S2E12 Living Donors: Shedding Pounds to Save Lives | EP 25
Send a textImagine stepping into a world where giving the gift of life is made more accessible to all. That's the transformative journey we embark on with Ruby Rorty and Rachel Watson in the latest…
S2E11 Discovering the Unexpected Rewards of Donating a Kidney to a Stranger | EP 24
Send a textImagine opening your heart to a complete stranger in one of the most profound ways possible. That's exactly what our guests, Josiah Wolfson and Kat Gordon, did when they each made the…
S2E10 Nutcracker Kidneys with LJ the Medium | EP 23
Send a textLJ Dong, also known as LJ the Medium, embodies resilience and determination in her journey with Nutcracker Syndrome. Despite facing significant health challenges, LJ's refusal to discard…
S2E9 Tax Credits Can Save Lives | EP 22
Send a textImagine a world where living kidney donors are compensated for their life-saving gift. A world where a severe shortage of kidneys doesn't result in the preventable deaths of over a million…
S2E8 Diane Lee Reporting Live with 1 Kidney | EP 21
Send a textDiane Lee Reporting Live with 1 Less KidneyDiane Lee is an Emmy nominated anchor and two-time Emmy Award winning reporter with more than 20 years of broadcast news experience.Diane is…
S2E7 Transcending Borders: International Kidney Exchange with Dr. Satish Nadig | EP 20
Send a textThere’s a wide range of reasons why kidney transplant is available to some, but not all. Imagine the lives that could be saved worldwide if we organized a globally inclusive kidney…
S2E6 Coffee and Kidneys with Al Roth | EP 19
Send a textExchanging kidneys is a complicated process that involves multiple collaborations between kidney patients, living donors, transplant centers, insurance companies, airlines and more. It’s…
Frequently Asked Questions
Donor Diaries has published 39 episodes since May 2021, covering topics in Documentary, Health & Fitness.
Donor Diaries is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 30m.
Similar Podcasts
An Arm and a Leg
An Arm and a Leg
165 episodes
Outlawed
Beverly Gray & Jonas Swartz
33 episodes
Donor Diaries
Laurie Lee
42 episodes
Invisible Force
CAIREreporting.org & Tobias Gilk
12 episodes
Life and Sirens
Life and Sirens Podcast
82 episodes
So She Slays Podcast
Chauncey Woods & Heather Young
227 episodes