AUDREY BELLA LANGSTON

This task force maintains a mission to strengthen Illinois’ Organ/Tissue Donor Registry through outreach and registration initiatives I’m proud and grateful for how God has used my shortcomings with my health to educate and enlighten others on the importance of organ donation and transplantation. In addition to the above, I also co-chair Tampa General Hospital’s Transplant Patient Advisory Council, I’m an Organizer for Florida’s organ procurement organization, Lifelink, and I host my own podcast titled Bella’s Hope for Healing.

It was eight years after my diagnosis that my illness advanced to the point of being placed on the transplant waiting list – a minimum of five years waiting at the time in the state of Illinois! I had several false starts regarding potential living donors, and it progressed to the point where I could no longer avoid dialysis. I chose to do peritoneal dialysis which was more suitable for my lifestyle I was only on dialysis for about six months before my 24-year-old godson, Roger Reynolds, offered to become a living donor through donating one of his kidneys. He was a perfect match!

They scheduled the transplant for Friday, March 4, 2005, at Northwestern Hospital. Roger went home the very next day, and I was able to go home that Sunday, March 6th, just in time to celebrate my birthday! On March 14th of this year, I celebrated my kidneys 17th Kidneyversary! I have never felt better in my life, and Roger is doing wonderful. I thank my godson often for blessing me with the Gift of Life. All those years ago little did I know that God brought him into my life to SAVE IT! 11