At Kidneys for Communities, we’re honored to share stories that showcase the heart, resilience, and human connection behind living kidney donation. Few stories capture this more powerfully than that of Jim Urtel, a Batavia, New York resident whose life changed through the generosity of a living donor.
Jim Urtel’s fight with kidney disease began more than a decade ago when he was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure in 2012. For eight years, he balanced daily life with the grueling routine of dialysis, determined to stay active and hopeful even while waiting for a transplant. In 2020, a deceased donor kidney became available, but tragically that kidney did not last long, a setback that would have discouraged many.
Despite challenges, Jim stayed committed to improving his health, losing weight, and remaining ready for a life-saving transplant. Jim connected with Kidneys for Communities which started supporting him through the national farmer, rancher, and equestrian community, along with another national coverage via the US Trotting Association. Along the way, Kidneys for Communities even turned to creative community outreach, including placing a billboard plea close to the Bills Stadium asking for a kidney donor to raise awareness about his need and the broader issue of living donation.
In what Jim describes as a moment of profound gratitude, Sharon West, a longtime volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the Pavilion Fire Department in Pavilion, New York, responded to the campaign, eventually donating a kidney to Jim.
The transplant marked a new chapter in Jim’s life, one filled with renewed health, energy, and hope for the future. The two were finally able to meet in person for the first time after the surgery, more than two years after Jim first learned that a living donor kidney was headed his way. Their meeting was a powerful reminder of the connection that living donation creates: a bond between two people brought together by compassion.
“For someone to do this without knowing me … that’s something I’ll always carry with me,” Jim said of Sharon’s decision to donate. Their story is a narrative about a successful transplant that embodies what living donation is really about: generosity, empathy, and the chance to give someone a future they might not otherwise have had.
More than 90,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and living donors play a critical role in helping reduce that waiting list and save lives. Living donor kidneys often function longer and better than organs donated after death, meaning donors like Sharon directly increase the quality and longevity of recipients’ lives.
Through stories like Jim’s, we hope to inspire more people to learn about living kidney donation and consider how they might make a life-changing impact.
