After seven-year wait for kidney transplant, Dannielle Small builds a full life

Dannielle Small felt like her life was on hold for seven long years as she waited for a kidney transplant.

Despite the hours-long dialysis sessions multiple times a week during that period in her 20s, she still earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mental health counseling, bought a car and a home, and rededicated herself to God. She was lonely but felt it was not a good time to pursue a relationship.

That all changed in July 2020 when Einstein Health found a match.

Dannielle hopes to meet the family of her donor hero, Andrew, and thank them in person for their generosity that’s allowed her to enjoy a healthy, full life, including a relationship with Michael.

She also is incredibly thankful to the Gift of Life staff, especially Gift of Life Howie’s House where she stayed for three weeks following her transplant.

Dannielle not only advocates for organ donation but also works to dispel myths surrounding it. A native of Barbados, Dannielle found that several of her family members and friends mistrusted Western medicine, which was a barrier to them serving as a living donor for her.

Currently 90,000 people in the United States are on the national transplant waiting list for a donor kidney. It takes less than a minute to register to give them hope and become an organ donor. Please consider registering here: donatelifepa.org/register