Jud Lynch knew he would need two things: a haircut and a kidney transplant. The 68-year-old Grand Rapids man just didn’t expect to get them both from the same person. He was diagnosed with IGA nephropathy in his 20s, an autoimmune disease in which antibodies build up in the kidneys and cause scarring. It has

Two decades ago, Mark Otto would’ve been happy to gain just one more year of life. Then 34, his liver was failing and he was plagued by chronically itchy skin. He was jaundiced and extremely fatigued, sometimes sleeping 16 hours a day. “It was about as bad as it could get in the end,” said

Candice Desjarlais remembers the exact moment she decided to donate a kidney to her sister-in-law, Thelma. Thelma had just finished a five-and-a-half hour dialysis treatment, with Candice sitting with her to keep her company. Candice said she was moved by the overall somber atmosphere in the clinic and the varying ages of the patients there.

Nancy Banks was just finishing up a dialysis treatment when her phone started to ring. She didn’t recognize the number and was going to ignore it because the clinic had a strict no-calls policy. A staff member had a feeling about the 800-number, however, and advised her to answer. When she did, she received some

Sarah Ann Scantamburlo has learned to live life to the fullest and make the most of whatever circumstances fate throws her way. “I feel like so many people wait for tomorrow, what they deem as the perfect opportunity,” said Scantamburlo, a Novi resident. “But how do you know? Once it’s gone, it’s gone. There is

Shane Sena was dedicated to his family and friends and enjoyed working on cars. “He was a big brother and a little brother. He was loved by his siblings. He doted on them,” said his mother, Marie. “He was very protective of them.” His love now lives on in the legacy he left for others;

Rebecca Anderson has been able to watch her daughter get married, graduate from Michigan State University and earn a master’s degree. She has traveled to the Mediterranean and celebrated her 30th anniversary with her husband, Rex. It’s an impressive list, considering she was never expected to see her first birthday. Anderson was born with idiopathic