Lifesaving ‘Gift of Life’ through organ transplantation
After his first visit with the Transplant Center at HCA Florida Largo Hospital in March 2024, Donnell started his kidney transplant journey and never imagined that his lifesaving donor would be his very own wife.
According to Donate Life Florida, nearly 120,000 people are waiting for a life-saving transplant. Transplants rely on the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors, and there are not enough donors to meet the need.
Husband and wife Donnell and Erin Field met at their workplace, Cape Coral Parks and Recreation in 2017 and immediately had a genuine connection. They were married in March 2019 and blended their family of 3 children, the youngest graduating from high school this school year.
In January 2024, Donnell found his health quickly deteriorating and was forced to take a leave of absence from the work he finds great joy in. He was told that he was in stage 4 renal failure and congestive heart failure, resulting in extensive testing and the start of dialysis treatment. After his first visit with the Transplant Center at HCA Florida Largo Hospital in March 2024, Donnell started his kidney transplant journey and never imagined that his lifesaving donor would be his very own wife. They are now bonded by more than their marriage.
“From the beginning, when I heard Donnell needed a kidney transplant, I wanted to see if I would be a match. What spouse wouldn’t want to see if they could be a donor. He is my husband, and I want to do all I can to see him well” shared Erin Field.
After much preparation, Donnell and Erin were told that Erin was a perfect match and would donate one of her kidneys to her husband on October 24.
“A living donor can be someone in overall good health and they don’t need to be blood related, just blood compatible. It’s incredible to see the selfless act of organ donation through the work that we do at the Transplant Center of HCA Florida Largo Hospital,” explained Dr. James Eason, Director of Transplantation.
“This holiday, I hope everyone considers being a transplant donor, or a donor once you have passed away. The impact it can have on someone goes beyond comprehension. It can change both the recipient’s life, but also the donor’s life as well. It is the gift that continues to give. I tell Erin when she asks what I want for Christmas, that she already gave me the greatest gift I could ever have; the gift of life” shared Donnell Field.
This holiday season, you can give the “gift of life” by signing up to become a living kidney or liver organ donor. Learn more about organ donation and how to register here.