the whole story

Hello Augusta,

I never knew up until a few months ago I could make such a big difference in someone's life. Someone who I am just getting to know. That someone is my cousin, who is in desperate need of a kidney, and I just happen to be a really good match.

Our story goes like this: I grew up in Iowa, and Annie grew up in Arizona. The first time I remember seeing her is at a family reunion in Des Moines (I think) when I was in eighth grade. I think she had either just married her husband, Kendall, or was on the verge of marrying him. Anyway, we didn't talk much because I was a shy 14-year-old and she seemed much older than me (she's six years older) and plus we just met. The next time I saw her was at her father's funeral in Waterloo, Iowa, when I was a senior in high school. It was a really rough time for her and her sister, Jennifer, so I kind of stayed away.

Flash forward to December 2004. My dad calls and lets me know that Annie made it out of a surgery just fine and that he was with her in Yuma to help her recover. He told me that she was going to need a kidney transplant soon and that he was going to get tested. I told him I also wanted to get tested, but he insisted he go first.

Nothing happened until April of this year when she made it onto the national transplant list. She was not allowed to be on the list until she dropped below 20 percent of kidney functioning (she was born with only one functioning kidney, among other illnesses). My dad called the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Ariz., and had a phone interview, which ended quickly when they found out he wasn't even a blood type match.

And, as you may have guessed, I passed all of the tests -- so far -- with flying colors, and I'm scheduled to donate Aug. 10 at the Arizona Mayo Clinic. Through this donation, Annie can be healthier than she has ever been. I'm happy that I will be able to be a huge part of this process. Although I don't know Annie very well, I know that if I was in her situation I would want someone to do the same for me. Plus, how can you pass up an opportunity to save someone's life?