Mother of 3 Expresses Gratitude for Brother’s Life-Saving Donation

Transplant recipient celebrates life and winning in athletic competition.

Twenty years is a lifetime of memories and experiences.  Palmyra, PA resident, Denise Neely, understands this all too well.  She received a life-saving kidney transplant two decades ago, and feels blessed that her younger brother, Thomas Webber, made the generous decision to say ‘yes’ to donation – giving her a chance to watch her three sons grow, become a grandmother of five and live a full, active life.

Denise’s transplant journey began at 34, when her middle son, Josh, was diagnosed with strep throat.  She began to feel sick too. Ten days later after a round of antibiotics, she starting experiencing excessive swelling and knew that something was wrong. She went through testing and her doctor told her that she had IgA nephropathy, a disease that hampers the kidneys’ ability to filter wastes from blood.  Her uphill battle to regain her health began.

After going into kidney failure, she went on dialysis and was added to the organ transplant waitlist.  She said, “It was a really rough part of my life.  I had to do at home dialysis four times a day, and it was draining.  I could barely make it to my car or walk up my steps, and my kids were young so I pushed myself to keep going.”  Denise gained 70 pounds of water weight due to her lack of kidney function, and she was swollen and suffocating from the excess fluid.  She was always out of breath and was unsure what tomorrow would bring.

Luckily, Denise had the support of her family.  She is one of nine siblings and they are a close- knit group.  Several of her siblings stepped up and were tested to be a living donor, and three of them were perfect matches!  “My brother, Thomas, just had a baby with his wife – but it didn’t stop him from donating one of his kidneys to me.  He is my hero.  Because of him I have my life back.” said Denise.

Today, 20 years post-transplant, Denise and her brother are both healthy.  She has proven how successful transplantation is, and that life with a new kidney can be an energetic one.  “Right after my surgery, I felt different.  I had so much energy.” she said.  “I love to share with people how healthy I am now.  I started riding my bike shortly after my transplant, and I try to eat well and follow my doctor’s orders.”  She is committed to taking care of her kidney and showing the world all that she can do.  In 2009, she traveled to Spain as a participant in the World Transplant Games, an Olympic-style competition where transplant recipients go for the gold!  She has also been a member of Team Philadelphia and competed in the national Donate Life Transplant Games of America, bringing home 16 medals, which included 5 gold!

“People don’t realize how much recipients can do after receiving a transplant.  I want to share my story and inspire others with all that I have been able to do.”  Denise said.

In Gift of Life Donor Program’s region, the eastern half of PA, southern NJ and DE, more than 5,400 people are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.  On average, 22 people die each day in the U.S. while waiting.  You can help!  One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and countless others through tissue donation.  Register at donors1.org.  It only takes 30 seconds.

About Gift of Life Donor Program: Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 42,000 life-saving organ transplants, along with more than 600,000 life-enhancing tissue transplants.  Gift of Life’s service area includes nearly 11.2 million people, and in 2016 the organization coordinated over 49 organ donors-per-million-population – ranking it among the highest in the world.  For more information or to register today, visit donors1.org.