2016 Donna Albanese-DeMair

DONNA ALBANESE-DEMAIR

Kidney Donor

Age 57 ~ Scotch Plains, NJ

Business Owner

Honored by njsharingnetwork.org

In 2002 a virus destroyed Donna’s mother’s kidneys and all of a sudden this wife, mother of three, and business woman had a very important life altering decision to make.  After educating herself and receiving support from her husband and children, Donna says the rest was easy. On May 29, 2002 Donna gave her mother a new lease on life by donating her kidney. “She gave me two kidneys and I was able to give her one back”, Donna stated.  Following the transplant surgery, the two shared a hospital room and after three days of recovery, Donna’s mother turned to her and thanked her for saving her life. What a privilege.

Donna’s Story

As a 43 year old athletic woman who enjoys being a wife, mother of three and business woman I had a very important life altering decision to make in 2002. A virus had destroyed my mother’s kidneys.  Her choices were dialysis or transplantation.  Unfortunately there were not enough kidneys to go around so my sister and I got tested.  I was the better match.

Making the decision to save someone’s life must be tempered with the question: what will it do to my life?  It is not a decision to be taken lightly. St Barnabas Medical Center  educated me and my family about transplantation.  My wise husband said “if it were my mother I wouldn’t hesitate to give her a kidney”.  That is the kind of family support that is necessary.

In the end it was an easy decision to make. I donated a kidney to my mother on my son’s 19 birthday, May 29, 2002.  I gave my mom a new lease on life.  She gave me two kidneys and I was able to give her one back.  We shared a hospital room and at 6:00AM on our third day, the sun was rising, the hospital was quiet, my Mom opened her eyes, turned to me and said “Thank you for saving my life”.  Wow, what a privilege.

At the age of 43 I had an opportunity to reevaluate what is truly important in life.  The little stuff does not matter.  Life is precious, we must find the good in all things and when we reach out to help others we end up helping ourselves the most.

My family owns and operates a Dairy Queen in Plainfield, New Jersey.  The local press shared our Mother’s Day story and the community came out to support our family in a very touching way.  We speak publicly about our experience and inspire others.  We know that our story has saved lives.

Thanks to St Barnabas Medical Center and the New Jersey Sharing Network my Dad has a Wife, my sister and I have our Mom and our children have a healthy Grandmother.