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In this episode of Donor Diaries, we sit down with Dr. Amy Waterman, a national leader in transplant health services research and patient engagement at Houston Methodist, to talk about what we know about living donors, and what we are still learning.

Amy has spent her career studying how to help patients and living donors make informed, confident decisions. We talk about why long term living donor research takes decades, why comparison groups matter when studying donor outcomes, and why understanding donor motivations is so important when designing education and support programs.

We also talk about something that does not get discussed enough: donors are not all the same. Amy shares three common donor motivation profiles and how understanding these differences helps transplant centers better support donors before and after surgery. We also talk about donor identity, why some donors stay deeply connected to the donor community while others quietly move on with their lives, and what both experiences can teach us.

Finally, we talk about what helps right now. Peer mentoring. Reducing financial barriers. Education that respects that different donors are motivated by different things. And the growing role of digital storytelling, which allows people who are considering donation to hear real voices and real stories in a low pressure way.

This is a thoughtful conversation about research, decision making, and the very human reasons people choose to become living donors.

Dr. Amy Waterman is a national leader in transplant health services research and serves as Director of Patient Engagement and Education at Houston Methodist. Her work focuses on improving access to transplant, supporting informed decision making, and developing education and engagement tools for transplant patients and living donors. She has led numerous research initiatives, including digital storytelling and patient education programs, and has received nearly $30 million in federal grant funding. Dr. Waterman has authored more than 125 peer reviewed publications and has been recognized by the American Society of Transplantation as a Clinician of Distinction.

Links

The Waterman Lab website
Explore Transplant
Living Donor Collective
Livingdonorstories.org

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Denice received her father’s kidney at age 13, decades before modern transplant protocols were common and pediatric dialysis existed. Fifty-eight years later, she is still thriving and using her story to inspire others to be donors.

Denice reflects on a childhood shaped by loss, a diagnosis that changed everything, and a mother who refused to accept no as an answer. She shares the extraordinary circumstances that led to her transplant, paints a vivid portrait of her donor father, and opens up about how grief and gratitude have coexisted throughout her life. With clarity and compassion, Denice also talks about being intersex, reminding us that biology is more complex than simple labels and that acceptance can be life changing.

We explore why her transplant may have lasted so long, including an unusually good match, consistent habits, and decades on azathioprine, along with the medical challenges that came with lifelong immunosuppression. Denice speaks candidly about aging with a transplant, staying active, and continuing to show up fully in the world.

What resonates most is her call to action. Denice invites more healthy people to consider non designated living donation. She describes the halo effect donors often experience, the relief it brings to recipients and families, and the quiet joy that comes from turning courage into connection. Along the way, we honor the legacy of long-term transplant pioneers like Butch Newman and Guinness record holder Joanna Rempel, placing Denice’s journey within a larger story of medical progress and human generosity.

If you have ever wondered whether one decision can ripple outward and change countless lives, this conversation offers a powerful answer. Listen, share with someone who needs hope, and if it moves you, subscribe, rate, and leave a review so more people can find these lifesaving stories.

Links

Ventura County Star Article

UCLA Article

Denice on YouTube

Denice’s 2025 Presentation for the American Society of Transplantation (AST)

About Fraser Syndrome

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Being told you need a kidney transplant is overwhelming. Being told you need to go find your own living donor while managing dialysis can feel impossible. For many veterans, that is exactly how the system works today.

In this episode, we sit down with Sharyn Kreitzer, a living kidney donor and longtime transplant professional with nearly three decades of experience in end stage organ disease. Sharyn began her career as a dialysis social worker and went on to work across transplant social work, outreach, development, and administration in both private sector programs and the VA system. In 2015, she launched the first VA transplant program on the East Coast at the Bronx VA. It was there that she saw a gap that could not be ignored, and in 2020 she founded DOVE (Donor Outreach for Veterans) to bring a different kind of support to veterans navigating the transplant process.

We talk about the real barriers veterans face when it comes to living donation. Access to transplant centers is limited. Travel can be a major burden for both recipients and donors. Criteria for donor approval can vary widely from one center to another, leaving willing donors confused and discouraged. Sharyn shares how DOVE steps in once a veteran is evaluated and listed, helping them build a clear, shareable profile that turns a vague need into something people can understand and act on.

A big part of this conversation is about how we engage potential donors. Instead of pushing people straight into long and invasive medical forms, DOVE starts with education and conversation. It is a simple shift, but one that keeps more people engaged and open to learning. We also talk about the importance of second opinions, and how a “no” from one center does not always mean the end of the road.

Throughout the episode, we come back to the idea of community directed donation. Sharyn shares how DOVE was inspired by models like Renewal and what the broader transplant community can learn from groups that have normalized living donation. When communities share the work, more people step forward and more lives are saved.

Sharyn’s work has been recognized across the transplant field, including honors from TRIO, LiveOnNY, the American Association of Kidney Patients, and an innovation award from United Network for Organ Sharing for mobile lab outreach during COVID. She is also helping lead the first ever U.S. Armed Forces Transplant Team at the 2026 Transplant Games in Denver.

If you care about veterans, kidney disease, or the future of living donation, this conversation offers a perspective that is both honest and hopeful.

DOVE Website
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GiftWorks

Donor Diaries Website
Donor Diaries on Facebook
GiftWorks Website
Connect with Laurie Lee