Tanya Anderson is a living donor coordinator at Froedtert hospital. She has worked there for almost nine years. Her job allows her to work with potential and future kidney donors but since March, her time at work has been different.
On March 13, she had surgery. It's a surgery she hopes will eventually help her mother.
Tanya's mom has been in need of a kidney. Tanya isn't her mothers match but she is registered as an advanced donor through the national kidney registry. So what does this mean exactly?
It's when someone donates their kidney as their loved one receives a voucher. When the loved one is ready, the national kidney registry identifies what donors match them. And hopefully, their lives are changed.
Although Tanya's mother is still waiting on the day she gets the call that will change her life, Tanya has already received a life changing call.
"I did get a letter from the recipient that I had donated to," she said with tears in her eyes. "They were so grateful to be able to be off of dialysis and have the freedom to spend time with their family unrestricted. Not having to go to dialysis two times a week."
When asked why she would tell people to donate, she said the ability to help someone is beyond what she could've imagined.
Friday morning, the day after TMJ4 reporter Symone Woolridge met with Tanya, two kidney donors stopped by the same place Symone and Tanya talked.
Donors Mark and Lynn Scotch rode their bikes into Froedtert's Healing Garden as part of Mark's multi-city bike tour to talk about the importance of organ donation. Their story landed them on TODAY in 2023, captivating viewers all over the world.
Years ago, Mark met a guy at a bar. The two hit it off and as the guy was leaving he said he had to go to his dialysis treatment.
Mark eventually ended up offering one of his kidney's and went through the voucher program. The same program Tanya went through.
Mark's friend was able to have a successful surgery. Then feeling inspired, Lynn then became a kidney donor for a little boy. The two are now traveling, riding around, hoping to save lives.
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