My Kidney Transplant Story: Debbie Coleman

I knew I had an ulcer, but I started taking two baby aspirin a day in September 2023. Maybe three to four weeks later, I started throwing up blood. They admitted me and did a bunch of tests and told me I was in Stage 5 kidney failure. I had no idea.

They started talking about a transplant and I was like—wait a minute! There was so much they were throwing at me, and Christmas was right around the corner. I decided to get through the holidays and then deal with everything.

In January 2024, we started talking about dialysis. My nephrologist explained all the different forms of dialysis but told me that we didn’t need to start right away.

My husband, Tom, had found out about kidney exchange and he immediately wanted to be my donor. Of course, that was wonderful, but because Tom was also going to be my caregiver, my doctor suggested that one of my siblings could be my donor instead.

I am one of seven, with three sisters and three brothers. All three of the girls stepped up. The youngest went through the testing and although she was healthy, the doctors determined that if she gave a kidney away, her remaining kidney would not be enough for her. Another sister had the same issue, and the third sister was too old to even go in for testing.

My brothers have their own health issues, so I wasn’t going to ask them. I had a cousin in St. Louis who was about the same age as I was. She got tested and had the same issue as my sisters. It’s obviously hereditary. Tom also had a friend that went to be tested, but had his own health issues.

So at that point, Tom said, OK, I’m doing it. He got tested and was not a match for me, but he could donate a kidney to somebody and in exchange, somebody would donate a kidney to me.

It didn’t take long for them to find me a match. Tom donated in October 2024, and I was transplanted in June of 2025. By that point, they were getting ready to put me on dialysis. My numbers were starting to get worrisome, so it came at the right time. The good news is that I never had to go on dialysis, which is great. I controlled it all with diet, which was wonderful.

I’m seven months post-transplant now and I’m doing great. The doctor is very pleased with my numbers. When I was in the hospital, my creatinine level was 0.69—below the benchmark of 1.0. It was better than normal then, and it’s still really good—I must have had a wonderful donor.

I don’t know who my donor is, and I haven’t written a letter to them yet. The only thing I know is that they donated in Minneapolis. We attend the Transplant Games every other year. It’s in Minneapolis in 2028, so if I don’t meet them before then, that would be a wonderful opportunity.

We’ve been going to the Transplant Games for 20+ years to support my mom, who had a liver transplant in 1990. When she passed away, we stayed very active in the group. Who’d have thought that we’d end up as a living donor and a recipient!

About the Author

Debbie, 67, is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She received a kidney transplant from a living donor on June 25, 2025 (her son’s 35th birthday). She is so grateful for a second chance at life and is very active, along with her living donor husband, Tom, in spreading the message about organ donation.