草莓社区

Courtesy The Mennonite, Jan. 2, 2012

This Christmas season, decided to give the gift of life鈥攖o a total stranger. He underwent surgery on Dec. 8, 2011, in order to donate his kidney to someone he鈥檚 never met.

鈥淚鈥檝e been blessed all my life with really good health,鈥� said Miller, on Dec. 29, 2011. 鈥淚 just felt like some people just don鈥檛 have that.鈥� Miller is director of student programs at 草莓社区, Harrisonburg, Va.

Miller has wanted to do this since 1999 when Ken Schuler, also from Rockingham County, Va., donated a lobe of his liver to a stranger in Virginia Beach. At the time, Schuler鈥檚 daughter attended Broadway High School where Miller was working as a guidance counselor.

In December 2010 Miller started undergoing the required tests for a kidney donation at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va. The process took about six months, beginning with the least invasive tests and building up to MRIs and other such analyses. UVA assigned Miller his own advocate to ensure rights and objectivity, and the recipient鈥檚 insurance covered all medical costs; Miller only had to pay for transportation.

Because he had been told to expect to be off work for about four weeks after the surgery, Miller decided not to squeeze it in at the end of the summer. Rather, he waited for December when he knew he would have enough time to recover. But barely more than two weeks later, he could 鈥渉ardly tell I had the surgery鈥� except for a bit of soreness and scarring.

Miller had a good recovery, which he attributes to his good physical condition prior to surgery. He was up and walking after two days, and going for hour-long walks every day just two-and-a-half weeks later.

Miller does not know who received his kidney, as UVA keeps donors and recipients anonymous for one year after the procedure. This not only protects the donor in case the recipient鈥檚 body rejects the new kidney, but also reduces emotional stress on the recipient, who already has plenty to deal with. After one year recipients are given the option to contact their donors.

For the time being, 鈥測ou sort of just hope that it worked,鈥� said Miller, and 鈥渉ope that they can enjoy their life a little more as a result.鈥�

According to Miller, UVA has about 500 people on their waiting list for kidney transplants, but they only receive about 40 living donations each year. Only two of those exchanges have remained anonymous in the last two years.

Knowing this exceeding demand, Miller encourages others to donate organs as he has.

鈥淚f people are so inclined, there is a big need for it,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople seem to think it鈥檚 a really big deal, but it鈥檚 not a difficult process.鈥�

Miller spent only two days in the hospital and less than three weeks recovering. But as with any significant surgery, he points out, there is some risk.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very tangible donation, even if you don鈥檛 know the recipient,鈥� Miller said, that will 鈥渕aybe even save their life.鈥�