Donate Life - Jessie Stoops' Story
"I believe it is so important to be an organ donor because sometimes the person who needs your help is someone you love. In 2019, my baby brother needed a kidney transplant at 29 years old. I was fortunate to be a match for donation and be physically healthy enough to be able to donate my kidney to him. It was a lengthy process but so worth it. Prior to the surgery, he was on dialysis, which was making his life very difficult and preventing him from being able to do all things he wanted to do. Since the transplant, he is living a much more "normal" life. He still requires daily medication and some dietary restrictions, but he is able to do so much more. My recovery after surgery was not the easiest in the world, but definitely doable and 100% worth it. I've been asked many times if I was scared or what made me do it. The answer is, and always has been, I like my brother a whole lot more than I like my left kidney. I had two and he needed one. Simple math."
Learn More
To learn more about organ and tissue donation, visit our Donate Life page. To register to become a donor in Illinois, visit https://www.lifegoeson.com/.