My Coach Helped Me Stay Calm, Informed, and Hopeful: Linda Lebowitz’s Kidney Transplant Story

I am a kidney transplant recipient thanks to the incredible support of the National Kidney Registry (NKR).

I was adopted as a newborn, and my family had no idea that I had polycystic kidney disease (PKD). I didn’t learn about my diagnosis until I was in my 30s, after my young son began showing symptoms and doctors traced the condition back to me.

Years later, in my 60s, my kidney function began to decline rapidly. When my GFR reached 20, in the summer of 2024, I started the transplant evaluation process, knowing a transplant was in my future. But shortly after, I faced another serious setback—I was diagnosed with a lung tumor and had to undergo surgery to remove part of my lung. I was temporarily taken off the transplant list.

Thankfully, the tumor was non-invasive, and I was relisted in January 2025. Still, the uncertainty was overwhelming. I wasn’t sure if I would ever find a donor.

I did everything I could to advocate for myself—posting on Facebook, putting up flyers in my community, and even placing magnets on my car to spread the word about my need for a kidney.

That’s when I found the NKR. I was connected with a coach, Yardley Hernandez, and I cannot say enough about how much her support meant to me. She patiently guided me through the microsite process and answered every question with kindness and clarity. She was able to merge my prior social media posts to the NKR microsite. She was patient and attentive.

In May 2025, I found a donor. However, the process was not simple. Although my donor was registered with the NKR, they decided to donate directly to me, which led to challenges navigating communication with the transplant centers. It was frustrating and, at times, discouraging.

Yardley was there through it all. She helped me stay calm, informed, and hopeful during a very stressful time.

Today, I am nine months post-transplant and incredibly grateful.

The NKR is an amazing organization, but what truly made the difference for me was the personal support I received. Yardley’s patience, compassion, and guidance helped me get through one of the most difficult journeys of my life.

I will always be thankful.

About the Author

Linda Lebowitz is a 66-year-old successfully transplanted kidney patient, thanks to the support of the NKR.  She was adopted and unknowingly inherited polycystic kidney disease. It wasn’t until she was 35, when her firstborn was peeing blood, did she learn that both of them had this disease.  After decades of insecurity and PKD-related health issues, it was through her friendships with my PKD support group that she found a donor who was already registered with the NKR. Because of this, within two weeks of their connection, a transplant date was arranged. She is forever grateful.