My Kidney Donation Story: Christine Bovo

On October 4, 2023, I became a non-directed kidney donor, almost two years after my mother passed away. When I saw a neighborhood post about a man in need of a kidney, I immediately decided that donating was something I wanted to learn more about. As I read about the need for kidney donors, it was no longer a matter of IF, but WHEN I would donate.  

Within the next few weeks, I was contacted by the NKDO. They walked me through the process, answered all my questions and conducted an array of health screenings to determine if I was healthy enough to donate. At that time, I knew that if I was medically cleared to donate, I definitely wanted to. 

From the time I requested information about donating to when I was cleared to donate took about five months. Due to work schedules and summer plans, I decided to have the surgery sometime in October. 

Everything with the surgery went well. I was discharged the day after and was home by lunchtime. Fortunately, I was able to take almost six weeks off from work. I was feeling much better after two weeks, but I remained very tired. My days were spent resting (two naps a day plus a full night’s sleep), hydrating and walking to regain strength. It took four months before I felt 100% back to normal. Sleep was the key to my recovery.  

I decided to donate, in part, to honor my mother. Both she and my grandmother donated their bodies to the University of Rochester for research. I admired their acts of kindness. However, donating a kidney was something I could do now. It was my hope that my donating would prevent another family from losing their mother or other loved one.  

After my donation, I was able to send a letter to my recipient through her transplant center. Just before Christmas 2023, I received an email from the woman who received my kidney. It was a lovely letter. It confirmed that my donation had made a difference and that she was recovering really well. We have never met, but we correspond regularly. 

I cannot emphasize enough how doable this process was. My life was interrupted for a few weeks, while the recipient’s life was changed for years to come. Organ donation is a truly unique gift, and I wouldn’t change my decision for anything.

About the Author

Christine Bovo was born in Corning, New York, but has lived in Northern Virginia since 2000. She has been a pharmacist for 30 years and truly enjoys providing information and making a difference in small ways for the patients in her community. At the time of her non-directed kidney donation, she was 51 years old. Before and after surgery, she enjoyed daily walks with her dogs, working out at Orange Theory and taking vacations with her family hiking in National Parks and the Dolomites of Italy. She would like to tell her story in hopes of spreading the word about this great need and encouraging others to take this meaningful step to save the life of another.