Near the end of her pregnancy, Lauren Donkar was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Within hours of giving birth, she suffered complete liver and kidney failure. She spent nearly a month in a coma and had two liver transplants before recovering. “Without the amazing families who made the decision to donate their loved ones’ organs, my daughter would be growing up without ever knowing her mother,” said Lauren.

Lauren's Story

In November 2006, Lauren Donkar and her husband were expecting the birth of their first child. Near the end of her pregnancy, Lauren was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia; an emergency c-section resulted in the birth of a healthy girl, Allie. But Lauren’s joy was short-lived, as she was transferred to the ICU in complete liver and kidney failure within hours of giving birth. Lauren spent nearly a month in a coma and had two liver transplants before she began to recover. When she finally awakened, her daughter was nearly five weeks old. Overall, Lauren spent almost three months in the hospital recovering.

“Before becoming pregnant, I was perfectly healthy. I had a normal pregnancy for the first 36 weeks,” said Lauren. “My life was saved by transplantation, and without the amazing families who made the decision to donate their loved ones’ organs, my daughter would be growing up without ever knowing her mother.

“Since my transplant, I have celebrated my fifth wedding anniversary, my daughter’s first birthday and my 30th birthday. I cherish every day that I have been given to spend with my family and I have a much greater understanding of how fragile life really is.”

Lauren has returned to work as a pediatric nurse practitioner two days a week and plays tennis whenever she gets the chance. With the help of close friends, she and her husband started a charitable organization to raise money for the Piedmont Hospital’s Transplant Services and Georgia Transplant Foundation. Last year, their golf tournament netted more than $20,000.

“Transplants save so many lives. We want to help other transplant patients in any way that we can,” Lauren summarized.