April Is National Donate Life Month: RivCo Teacher's Living Donation Saved An 8-Year-Old

TEMECULA, CA — Donating an organ, even one you can live without, is a big decision. For Temecula Special Education teacher Tiffany Minor, donating her kidney to a student in need was nothing but a "blessing," she said. "God had his hand on this; the odds of being a match are pretty low."

Minor has had James in her class for the past three years, she told Patch. Since she learned of his illness, and donated her kidney after a long testing process, she has seen his quality of life improve. "James is so full of life, and so much more active than before the kidney transplant," she said. "He looks happy and healthy, just as God intended."

This week, Minor and James, along with 11 other kidney transplant recipients and donors, celebrated their one-year success at Rady Children's Hospital.

Minor recalled the fall day in 2023 at Crowne Hill when she noticed James, who was not doing well at that time.

"I noticed him sitting on a beanbag, not really doing much. I said as much to his dad, and he told me he was really struggling. He was on dialysis," she said. "So I asked what I could do to look into becoming a donor and started on the path."

Minor spent the next five months learning how to become a living kidney donor for James, and if possible, she could be a match for him.

On Valentine's Day, 2024, she learned she was a match. The pair went into surgery two weeks later, on March 1, she said. Since that time, James has transformed into a happy, healthy boy.

Dr. Elizabeth Ingulli, a transplant nephrologist and the medical director of Rady Children's Hospital's Kidney Transplant Program, said that anyone who decides to be an organ donor can save lives.

"We have living donors here who gave the gift of life," she said. "But we also have the families of deceased donors who have done an amazing thing and given their loved one's organs to people who needed them. This is such a happy event, each and every one of the kids are just ecstatic. Being on dialysis is not fun for a child, and so they are just so grateful."

Ingulli said some of the donors didn't even know the recipient personally, but behaved altruistically because they could. She encouraged anyone who is able to sign up as an organ donor.

One year later, James is thriving. Minor told us a little bit about how the transplant has altered his life, and hers.

"James has been in my class for 3 years. He is currently a student of mine. The immediate and extended family include me in updates and we try to get together when grandparents come to town. Jame’s family has been very gracious. We plan on staying in contact as he grows. I’ll also be attending special kidney transplant camps with James in the future."

National Donate Life Month is observed to "help raise awareness about donation and encourage Americans to register as organ and tissue donors, and to honor those who have helped save lives through the gift of donation," according to Rady.

Minor says the donation hs changed her life and her perspective.

"I would encourage anyone who is considering being a living donor," she said. "Helping save a life is a gift that is unmatched. It was a minor inconvenience for a few weeks, but well worth the beautiful outcome! "

According to www.Organdonor.gov, there are more than 170 million registered organ donors in the United States. However, not everyone who chooses to become a donor can actually donate. Only around three in 1,000 people die in a way that allows for deceased organ donation.

There are more than 100,000 Americans on the national transplant waiting list, nearly 90,000 for kidneys. Seventeen people die each day waiting for an organ transplant. More than 48,000 transplants were performed in 2024.

"Donation in general is a blessing," Minor said. "It's a blessing to [the recipients] so they can live healthy lives, but it's also a blessing to you. It's a gift."

To sign up to be an organ donor, visit www.organdonor.gov/sign-up.