After Donating Kidney, Hightstown Veteran Prepares To Climb 3 Guatemala Volcanoes

EAST WINDSOR, NJ – In December, U.S. Army veteran Jenny Godnick will embark on a journey to Guatemala, to climb three volcanoes. And she plans to achieve this feat to raise awareness about organ donation, after she became a kidney donor.

Godnick, 58, graduated of the ROTC program at the University of Delaware. She was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and after a 20-year military career and mobilization during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, she retired as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve.

her life turn when she made the decision to become a living kidney donor to save the life of her brother-in-law, Steven, who was suffering from kidney disease due to Scleroderma, a long-term autoimmune disease.

“At the time, I was a registered organ and tissue donor because I believe we should all be willing to give the gift of life to others after we pass away. But I had no idea that you could donate one of your kidneys to someone else while you are still alive,” Godnick said.

“I educated myself and learned all about living donation, and I thought, ‘well I am healthy, and I can do this.’ I talked to my wife Deb and my parents, and they were all very supportive. I never thought about it as me giving up an organ. I was more focused on the fact that Steven was going to receive a kidney to keep on living.”

When Godnick discovered that she was not a strong kidney match for her brother-in-law, Godnick and Steven entered the National Kidney Registry (NKR) in 2012.

She donated a kidney and saved the life of a woman from New York as part of a 24-person donation and transplantation chain. The chain continued and just a few days later, on April 28, 2014, Steven had a successful kidney transplant surgery.

Following her kidney donation, Godnick recovered quickly. She was able to restart her daily jogging routine only four weeks after surgery. The veteran also completed a triathlon only nine weeks after surgery.

In December, Godnick will embark on a new challenge - the Kidney Donor Athletes' 3 Volcanoes Climbing Challenge in Guatemala. Godnick is the only New Jersey resident among 18 living donors who will attempt to climb three volcanoes in Guatemala, totaling over 13,000 vertical feet, in four days.

The climbers aim to demonstrate that living organ donors can accomplish any physical challenge that a person with two kidneys can.

“Jenny is a true local hero who has dedicated her life to serving others, not only during her military career but also as a living kidney donor and a tireless advocate for organ and tissue donation,” Carolyn M. Welsh, President and CEO of NJ Sharing Network, said in a statement.

Over the past few years, Godnick has volunteered with NJ Sharing Network to help raise awareness and encourage others to register as organ and tissue donors.

Her volunteer work includes speaking at local high schools, where she educates students about organ and tissue donation. She is also a member of the Sharing Network Foundation’s Living Donor Council and has competed in the Transplant Games of America as a member of Team Liberty.

To learn more, get involved, and join the National Donate Life Registry as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org.

For more information about the 3 Volcanoes Climbing Challenge and Kidney Donor Athletes, visit www.kidneydonorathlete.org.

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