Steven

Steven Dye

Steven Dye had no symptoms and felt perfectly healthy when he went in for his annual physical. But the results were unexpected—he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.

At first, the disease progressed slowly. For over a decade, Steven remained in stage 3 kidney failure. Then, in a matter of months, his condition worsened, reaching stage 5. He needed a kidney—soon.

He and his wife discussed the possibility of her donating, but at the time, they didn’t have children. Doctors weren’t sure how the transplant might affect their future plans.

Steven had spent more than two decades serving his community as an officer with the Ann Arbor Police Department. One day, while chatting with his colleague, Jaime Crawford, he casually mentioned his condition.

“I wasn’t expecting anything,” he recalled. “I was just venting, and Jaime asked if anyone could donate. She said she might look into it and talk to her family.

Jaime Crawford

A short time later, Jaime called Steven with unexpected news—she was moving forward with the donation process. She wasn’t the only one who wanted to help. Two other colleagues had also stepped up to be tested. But Jaime had begun the process first, and she was a match.

In 2019, Steven received his life-saving kidney transplant, all thanks to Jaime’s selfless act.

Two years later, in 2021, Steven and his wife welcomed their daughter.

“It was a blessing overall,” he said. “Because of Jaime, my wife was able to be my primary caretaker during that time and be there for me after my transplant.”

Together, Steven and Jaime have shared their story publicly to encourage others to be a living donor.

Steven has also shared his experience to help others understand the process, including his fellow church member, Larry Gates.

Larry Gates

For more than 15 years, Ann Arbor resident Larry Gates lived with declining kidney function.  By 2019, his condition had worsened enough to land him on the transplant waiting list.

After watching video testimonials from kidney recipients and hearing Steven share his own story, Larry and his wife Joyce became inspired to change how they were going about the process. They decided they needed to share their story and let people know they needed help.

They turned to social media, sharing Larry’s journey on Facebook. The response was overwhelming. His cousin, a physician from California, was tested but wasn’t a match. A young man from his church also attempted to donate but his kidney wasn’t strong enough.

Larry was beginning to lose hope. Then, a longtime friend and colleague offered to help. She wasn’t a direct match, but instead of giving up, she entered the kidney pairing program—a process that would take about a year to coordinate.

On Sept. 11, 2024, Larry received his transplant. Shortly after, his friend’s donation took place. Two lives were saved thanks to one person’s act of generosity.