Patient Stories

“There was no question in my mind. I said, ‘Absolutely, I’ll do it,’” Janae recalls. “But I was scared too—this was my first surgery ever.”

Her brother Brandon, 26, had been battling Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis (MPGN), a rare kidney disease, since 2014. At first, the diagnosis was something the family monitored quietly and hopefully. But by 2023, everything changed. “He started to lose a significant amount of weight. He was always cold. I felt like I was literally watching my brother die,” Janae recalls.

When Brandon’s medical team told the family he would need a kidney transplant in March 2024, there was no hesitation. “There was no question in my mind. I said, ‘Absolutely, I’ll go and do it,” said Janae.

Choosing to become a living organ donor is a personal decision, and there’s no obligation to commit. If you’re curious or simply want to learn more, the UC Health Transplant team is here to help. Call us at 513-584-8313 to start the conversation. 

A Divine Match

Janae underwent testing in hopes of becoming a kidney donor for her brother. When the results confirmed in September that she was a perfect match, she was flooded with emotion and relief.

“It felt surreal. I’m a very religious person, and I truly believe this was divine,” she says. “Even though my human side was nervous, I felt like God was saying, ‘You’re the one.’ It just felt meant to be.”

The weeks that followed were filled with evaluation appointments and deep conversations. But for Janae, the clarity never wavered. “I knew this was the right path. I could actually save someone’s life. That’s not something you ever expect to say.”

Compassionate, Connected Care

Throughout the process, Janae found comfort and reassurance in the Transplant team at UC Health. “The care was amazing—not just for Brandon, but for me too,” she says. “They told me from the beginning, ‘If there’s even one thing that could put your health at risk, we won’t move forward.’ That meant everything.”

Janae was especially struck by the diversity of the transplant team. “I met the doctors, the nurses, and appreciated the diversity amongst the staff. It was reassuring. I felt seen and safe.”

“In order to care for individuals of various backgrounds, the UC Health transplant team has tried to find broad representation amongst our staff and providers.  This representation has allowed our patients the opportunity to connect to our providers and facilitates trust with our patients who are dealing with the diagnosis of end-stage organ disease,” says Dr. Madison Cuffy, Chief of the Division of Transplantation at UC Health.

The morning of the surgery—March 24, 2025—is etched in her memory. “Our mom was there the whole way, but when it came time for us to go up to pre-op, she couldn’t come with us. That’s when it hit me—‘We’re really doing this.’”

Janae and Brandon were placed in side-by-side rooms. “I kept sneaking into his room to make him laugh—even when I was a little loopy from the meds,” she laughs. “He was quieter, just taking it all in. But we hugged, prayed, and knew we were in it together. And then they wheeled me off, and I woke up, and my kidney was gone.”

A New Life—For Both

The recovery, Janae says, was remarkably smooth. “I definitely needed a lot of assistance getting up out of bed or getting into a chair during the first couple of weeks. But by week three, I could feel myself healing. At six weeks, I was back at work.”

“With the new advances in living donation, we have streamlined the process where most of our donors stay in the hospital between 24 and 48 hours.  Rapid recovery pathways have really minimized the need for narcotics postoperatively.   With minimally invasive techniques and advanced 3rd generation robotic surgery platforms, we are providing really the most state-of-the-art techniques for our donors and their recipients,” says Dr. Alex Chang, Transplant Surgeon at UC Health.

Now, four months post-surgery, Janae says if it weren’t for the scar, she wouldn’t know anything happened. “That’s how good I feel,” she adds.

Brandon’s recovery was even more remarkable. “He looked brighter. His face was fuller. He wasn’t cold all the time. His bloodwork started trending in the right direction almost immediately,” Janae says. “He’s back to work, back at the gym—back to himself.”

The transplant was so successful that Brandon no longer needs dialysis. And although both of his original kidneys remain and one still carries the disease, it can’t harm the new kidney. “That new kidney—my kidney—is giving him strength again,” Janae says proudly.

“Janae and Brandon both did remarkably well with the surgery.  In transplant, there are so many variables.  Our patients who are waiting on the list are some of the sickest people we treat in this hospital, and time is not on their side.  With a living donor, we can take so many of the unknowns off the table.  Often, the recipients of these kidneys are off dialysis and back home in a matter of days, something that is just not guaranteed with a cadaveric graft,” Dr. Chang adds. 

From Teacher to Advocate

Before Brandon’s diagnosis, Janae admits she knew almost nothing about organ donation. “I didn’t understand it at all. I’m a teacher—this was a whole new world to me. But now? I talk about it everywhere I go.”

As a second-grade teacher, she’s even turned her experience into a teachable moment. “They’re only 8, but I told them: ‘When you grow up, be a kidney donor. Be someone’s hope.”

During National Minority Donor Awareness Month, Janae’s story highlights the need for more minority living donors while challenging rooted fears and myths.

“There’s so much misinformation in our community,” she says. “People worry, ‘What if I end up in the hospital and they take my organs?’ But when you meet the doctors, hear the facts—it changes everything.”

“There are a lot of myths, especially amongst African-Americans regarding living donation, which is why living donation is among the lowest in this group.  There are a lot of reasons for this, but one factor is based on information that has been spread for years throughout these communities, which may not always be accurate. As an African-American, I grew up hearing these myths. As a result, it is important for us as providers to listen to the myths but also focus on being clear about the accuracy of the information. It is only by listening to the information that the patients are telling us and through education that we can change perceptions regarding organ donation,” Dr. Cuffy explains. 

A Legacy of Love

Today, Janae continues to advocate—whether in the classroom, at family gatherings, or with strangers in the grocery store.

“People’s eyes get wide when I tell them. But to me, it wasn’t crazy. It was love. I didn’t lose anything—I gained purpose. I would tell anyone considering organ donation to open your heart and mind to someone else’s story, and know you have the opportunity to save someone. It’s the most rewarding feeling.”

Her journey is a living testament to the Academic Health difference: innovative care that’s deeply personal, grounded in equity, and made possible through teamwork and trust.

“I’ll be on cloud nine forever,” she says. “I got to save my brother’s life. That’s not something you ever forget.”

If you’d like more information on becoming a kidney donor, like Janae, the Living Donor Organ Transplantation team is here to help. Contact us at 513-584-8313 or get started online by completing this form. We’re here to provide answers, offer support, and help you explore your options at your own pace.