A Gift of Gratitude and Comfort
My name is Robyn Murphy and on October 24, 2008, I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my kidney transplant. I was diagnosed with a genetic kidney condition when I was two years old. I knew I would eventually need a transplant, but I wasn't expected to require one until I reached middle-age. In April 2005, as I was about to graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing degree, I found out that my condition had worsened and I would need to start dialysis treatments. By October of that year my name was added to the kidney transplant list.
After graduation, I worked in Cardiology at the Health Sciences Centre, but by early 2006, I was receiving dialysis three times a week and needed to find a position that was less physically demanding. That fall, I took a job a health service call centre, not knowing that it would change my life.
At first, none of my co-workers knew about my condition, but I eventually shared my story when shift work began to take its toll. To my great surprise, one of my co-workers, Linda Dalley, asked how she could find out if she would be a kidney donor match for me. She believes that everything happens for a reason and that we began working together so that she could help me. After knowing me for just a few months, she saved my life - she gave me a kidney. I'll be forever grateful to Linda, my best friend and "sister", for her selfless gift to me.
Linda's generosity inspired another gift. My mom, Denese Murphy, was so grateful to Linda and so thankful for my good health that she wanted to do something special to celebrate the six-month anniversary of my kidney transplant. After learning of the Health Care Foundation's "Dialysis Chair-ity Fundraiser", she donated a new dialysis chair for the Dialysis Unit at the Waterford Hospital to help make patients receiving treatment more comfortable.
Donor Stories
The reasons why our donors choose to support health care are as varied as the donors themselves.
