Stephanie Kish

"My dad has always talked about the 'circle of life.' When I was an infant, I choked and stopped breathing; a neighbor’s quick action saved me,” said Stephanie.

Decades later, when Stephanie’s father began to suffer from kidney failure, she began the process to be considered as a living donor. In 2023, she gave her father the gift of a kidney. Her kidney traveled from Denver to Philadelphia and then to Harrisburg where her father was able to receive it. 

Since his transplant, Stephanie shares that the color has returned to his face and his energy has come back. Her father was even able to check off a lifelong dream of his: visiting Alaska. 

“Standing together amid Alaska’s mountains and glaciers, knowing we were there because of the transplant, was a feeling I’ll never forget,” she shared. 

Stephanie’s dad is about to celebrate 2 years with his kidney transplant, having just turned 66. 

“​​I love watching him play with my children when he can, and I love being able to call him regularly. Enjoying those simple moments–and extraordinary ones like Alaska–reminds me every day why I did it. Someone saved my life when I was helpless; being able to save his feels like completing the circle he always talked about."