Emily Wise

• Donor Mentor
• Living Kidney Donor

Emily has always had a heart for helping others. She was a second grade teacher for six years and enjoyed seeing others succeed. When she was 24, she made a bucket list of all she wanted to accomplish before she turned 30. While she had “help a total stranger” on her list, she didn’t know that would ultimately lead to donating a kidney.

Emily donated her kidney in 2018 after seeing a viral Facebook post showing a man at a Milwaukee Brewers game wearing a shirt asking for a kidney donor. Emily didn’t know the man, but she knew she wanted to help. She felt this was the sign she was looking for to help a complete stranger without asking for anything in return. 

Although Emily ended up not being a direct match for the stranger on Facebook, she decided to still move forward with an NKR paired exchange donation. Her kidney was flown to Pittsburgh and transplanted into a man named Charles. His friend, Michael, ended up being the donor for the Facebook stranger, who Emily would come to know as Lenny.

All four involved in the paired donation are doing well and have since had the opportunity to meet and celebrate the gift of life. Emily’s recovery went extremely well, and she was back to teaching after just two weeks. 

Emily’s passion for education and helping others had served her well in her current role as a donor mentor. Since becoming a kidney donor, Emily has gone on to have two beautiful and healthy children.

Emily lives in central Wisconsin with her husband Jon, two children, and golden retriever. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, spending time with family, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.