Donor Search Success Stories

Friday afternoon, hundreds gathered at Inova Fairfax to celebrate the health system’s living kidney donor program. In fact, all living kidney donors at Inova since 2019 were invited to this special ceremony.

In just a few years, David VanDinter, who has polycystic kidney disease, went from mostly good health to stage four renal failure. The same day he posted about his need for a donor on Facebook, a former junior high school classmate messaged him: “I’m going to sign up tonight.”

Michael Deitado needed a kidney transplant. His wife was a match, but her kidneys were too small. Fabiana Castro Troya also needed a kidney transplant, and her husband wanted to donate but was not a match. In March, two couples swapped kidneys in a paired exchange.

On August 30, 2023,  Jack Levine flew to South Florida from New York to meet Hayley Ostrofsky, who donated her kidney to him last April. Ostrofsky said, “who else is going to help somebody if you don’t step up when you have an opportunity to do something good?”

Jessica Jordan suffered years of debilitating pain, and eventually kidney failure, due to granulomatosis with polyangiitis, a rare autoimmune disease. Her 18-year-old daughter, Brooke Lyle decided to donate a kidney to her mom.

A Jones Beach lifeguard, 24-year-old Brandon Cullen, is being credited with an amazing save, but it didn’t involve the water. He saved a fellow lifeguard, Joe Curry, also 24, by donating a kidney.

Natalie Davis is sharing her kidney donation story in hopes more will consider the option. “I really just hope it inspires a lot more people to look into donating, especially being a chain donor,” she said. “You can save so many other lives by donating just one organ.” 

Theresa Crockett received a life-saving gift with help from New Kids on the Block. At a concert last year, Theresa held up a sign that said she was looking for a donor. The band brought the sign on stage and made an announcement. Another fan reached out to offer her kidney.

Before Joseph Sanchez-Munoz was even 1 year old, he had been diagnosed with dysplastic kidney disease (underdeveloped kidneys) and had had a liver transplant due to liver cancer. The chemotherapy for the cancer further damaged his kidneys and heart, and he received a kidney transplant at age 8 and a heart transplant at age 18.

Thirty years ago, Debbie Lein popped her head in the window of Janet Lyons’ SUV and asked if she wanted to be friends. They have been inseparable ever since, sharing memories, laughs, and even a kidney. Recently, they celebrated their friendship and the 10-year anniversary of the surgery that helped save Lein’s life.