Kathy Vochoska watched as her son Chris, a college student, went into sudden kidney failure due to Berger's Disease. She donated a kidney to her son at the end of March 2011, and the transplant worked immediately. "With so many people waiting for a transplant, we know how blessed we are," Kathy said. She now volunteers as a Donate Life Ambassador, leading a team of volunteers in Kern Coounty. "Although I hate that my son got sick, the silver lining of our journey is that I am now involved with the most compassionate and inspiring group of people I have ever met," she said. "My life has been forever changed."

Kathy's Story

In mid-August 2010, 20-year-old Chris Vochoska woke up with swollen ankles. Two days later, he was diagnosed with kidney failure due to Berger's disease, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the kidneys and for which there is no cure. Fourteen days later, Chris was on dialysis.

"Chris was amazing as he returned to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to continue his studies as a computer engineering major," said his mother, Kathy. "After a few months on dialysis, we were told that we needed to look into a living donor kidney transplant. We immediately contacted transplant centers at UCLA and UCSF and tested to see if any of our family or friends might be able to donate a kidney to Chris."

On March 30, 2011, at the age of 50, Kathy was able to donate a kidney to her son, and the transplant worked immediately. "With so many people waiting for a transplant, we know how blessed we are," Kathy said.

Because Kathy's surgery was done orthoscopically, she was in the hospital for less than 24 hours. "Living donation has not slowed me down at all," she affirmed. "I continue to participate in all the activities I was involved with prior to the transplant – hiking, running, cycling. I recently hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim with my daughter and some friends and plan on running the LA Marathon in March in support of the OneLegacy Foundation.

"Although I hate that my son got sick, the silver lining of our journey is that I am now involved with the most compassionate and inspiring group of people I have ever met," said Kathy. "As a Donate Life Ambassador, I am passionate about helping to educate and inspire people in my community to register as organ and tissue donors. Prior to my son's illness, I was completely unaware of the need for transplanted organs and the amazing gift that so many donor families have graciously and unselfishly given in order to save someone's life. My life has been forever changed. In a word, I am blessed."