She Found a Stranger to Save Her Life

     When Jillian Laplante was 5 years old, she started running a fever that wouldn’t go away. 

    At first, her parents thought she just had a bad cold. But Jillian kept getting sicker—and soon her face began to swell. 

    Doctors gave Jillian’s family scary news. They said that Jillian’s kidneys—the organs that clean the blood— had stopped working. 

    To stay alive, Jillian had to be hooked up to a machine for 9 hours a day. The machine did what her kidneys were supposed to do.  

    Jillian was connected to the machine by tubes. She had to sit still for hours. 

    This treatment couldn’t keep her alive forever. To truly get better, Jillian would need a new kidney.

     Jillian Laplante was 5 years old. She had a fever. It wouldn’t go away. 

    Her parents thought it was a bad cold. But Jillian got sicker. Her face swelled. 

    Doctors met with Jillian’s family. They said that Jillian’s kidneys—the organs that clean the blood—had stopped working. 

    Jillian needed medical treatment to stay alive. She was hooked up to a machine. She used it 9 hours a day. The machine did what her kidneys were supposed to do.  

    Jillian was connected to the machine by tubes. She had to sit still for hours. 

    But the machine couldn’t keep her alive forever. She needed a new kidney.

    When Jillian Laplante was 5 years old, she started running a fever that wouldn’t go away. 

    Her parents initially thought she just had a bad cold, but Jillian kept getting sicker—and soon her face began to swell. 

    Doctors gave Jillian’s family the terrifying news that Jillian’s kidneys—the organs that clean the blood—had stopped working. 

    To stay alive, Jillian had to spend nine hours a day hooked up to a machine that did what her kidneys were supposed to do.  

    Jillian was connected to the machine by tubes, and she had to sit still for hours. But this treatment couldn’t keep her alive forever—to truly recover, Jillian would need a new kidney.

    There was a time when there was no hope for a person like Jillian. But in the 1950s, doctors learned how to replace a diseased kidney with a healthy one. This type of surgery is called a transplant. 

    Most organs used in transplants come from someone who has died. Kidney transplants can be different. 

    You are born with two kidneys—but you need only one that works. That means a healthy person can choose to give a kidney to someone else. (This past summer, Selena Gomez received a new kidney, donated by her best friend.)

    Usually only a close friend or family member will volunteer to be a living donor. The surgery can be very painful—and risky.

    Once, there was no hope for a person like Jillian. But in the 1950s, that changed. Doctors learned how to replace a diseased kidney. They replaced it with a healthy one. This type of surgery is called a transplant. 

    Most transplanted organs come from someone who has died. Kidney transplants can be different. 

    You are born with two kidneys. But you need only one that works. So, a healthy person can give a kidney to someone else. (This past summer, Selena Gomez got a new kidney. It came from her best friend.)

    Usually only a loved one chooses to be a living donor. The surgery is painful. It’s risky too.

    There was a time when there was no hope for a person like Jillian. Then, in the 1950s, doctors learned how to replace a diseased kidney with a healthy one using a type of surgery called a transplant.  

    Most transplants use organs that have come from someone who has died, but kidney transplants do not have the same requirements. 

    That’s because you are born with two kidneys, but you need only one that works—which means a healthy person can choose to give a kidney to someone else. (This past summer, Selena Gomez received a new kidney that was donated to her by her best friend.)

    Usually only a close friend or family member will volunteer to be a living donor. The surgery can be very painful—and risky.

    When Jillian was 7, she got a new kidney from someone who had recently died. It was a difficult operation, and she would need to take medicine for the rest of her life. 

    But it was worth it. Jillian stayed healthy for years. She took guitar lessons and played basketball just like other kids.

    Then, when Jillian was 14, her new kidney stopped working. Once again, she needed a transplant.

    But this time, doctors said the kidney had to come from a living donor. That donor had to have Jillian’s blood type. 

    No one in Jillian’s family was a perfect match. And doctors said it would be very hard to find the right donor. 

    Jillian and her family were crushed. “We all cried,” she says. “I was really scared.”

    At age 7, Jillian got a new kidney. The donor had recently died. It was a difficult operation. Jillian would need to take medicine for the rest of her life. 

    But it was worth it. Jillian stayed healthy. Years passed. She took guitar lessons. She played basketball. She was just like other kids.

    When Jillian was 14, her new kidney stopped working. She needed a new transplant.

    But this time was different. Doctors said the kidney had to come from a living donor. That donor had to have Jillian’s blood type. 

    No one in Jillian’s family was a match. It would be hard to find the right donor. 

    Jillian and her family were sad. “We all cried,” she says. “I was really scared.”

    When Jillian was 7, she got a new kidney from someone who had recently died. It was a difficult operation, and she would need to consistently take medicine for the rest of her life. 

    But it was worth it. Jillian stayed healthy for years, and she was able to take guitar lessons and play basketball just like other kids.

    Then, when Jillian was 14, her new kidney stopped working—and once again, she needed a transplant.

    This time, though, doctors said the kidney had to come from a living donor, and that donor would have to have Jillian’s blood type. 

    No one in Jillian’s family was a perfect match, and doctors said it would be extremely difficult to find the right donor. 

    Jillian and her family were devastated. “We all cried,” she says. “I was really scared.”

    Jillian’s family didn’t want to just sit around and wait—they wanted to do something. 

    A family friend had an idea. They could make bumper stickers that said “Teen needs kidney.” 

    The family made hundreds of stickers and handed them out. “We started seeing them on cars of people we didn’t even know,” Jillian says.  

    Soon, a total stranger named Chrissie Smith spotted the sticker and called the phone number on it. She wondered if she could help. 

    Smith had her blood tested. On Christmas Eve, Jillian’s family learned that Smith was a match. 

    “We called it a Christmas miracle,” Jillian says.

    The family didn’t want to just wait. They wanted to do something. A friend had an idea. They could make bumper stickers that said, “Teen needs kidney.” 

    The family made hundreds of stickers. They handed them out. “We started seeing them on cars of people we didn’t even know,” Jillian says.  

    A stranger named Chrissie Smith saw the sticker. She called the phone number on it. She wondered if she could help. 

    Smith had her blood tested. On Christmas Eve, Jillian’s family got the news. Smith was a match. 

    “We called it a Christmas miracle,” Jillian says.

    Jillian’s family didn’t want to just sit around and wait—they wanted to do something. 

    A family friend suggested making bumper stickers that said “Teen needs kidney.” 

    The family made hundreds of stickers and distributed them. “We started seeing them on cars of people we didn’t even know,” Jillian remembers.  

    Soon, a total stranger named Chrissie Smith spotted the sticker and called the phone number on it, wondering if she could help. 

    Smith had her blood tested, and on Christmas Eve, Jillian’s family learned that Smith was a match. 

    “We called it a Christmas miracle,” Jillian says.

    Jillian went in for the second operation, and her new kidney started working right away. She felt great.

    But Jillian couldn’t forget a friend she had met in the hospital named Adrian. 

    Adrian was 13. He had been waiting for a new kidney for 11 years. Adrian was too sick to go to school. He loved soccer, but he wasn’t well enough to play. 

    Jillian wanted to help her new friend, so she made bumper stickers for him too. Months went by with no luck. Jillian almost gave up hope. 

    Then in June 2017, Jillian got a text from Adrian. All their work had paid off! He had found a donor.

    Jillian had the surgery. Her new kidney worked. She felt great.

    But she couldn’t forget her friend Adrian. She had met him in the hospital. 

    Adrian was 13. He needed a new kidney. He had waited 11 years. He was too sick to go to school. He loved soccer. But he could not play. 

    Jillian wanted to help her friend. She made bumper stickers for him too. Months went by. No luck. She almost gave up hope. 

    Then, last June, she got a text from Adrian. Their work had paid off! He had found a donor.

    Jillian went in for the second operation, and her new kidney started working immediately. 

    Although Jillian felt great, she couldn’t forget Adrian, a friend she had met in the hospital. 

    Adrian, 13, had been waiting for a new kidney for 11 years. He was too sick to go to school, and while he loved soccer, he wasn’t well enough to play. 

    Jillian wanted to help her new friend, so she made bumper stickers for him too. Months went by with no luck, and Jillian almost gave up hope. 

    Then, in June 2017, Jillian got a text from Adrian with the news that all their work had paid off: He had found a donor.

    In July, Adrian had his kidney transplant. Now he’s back at school and able to play soccer again.

    Jillian, now 18, is back at school too. She will graduate in May. She wants to be a nurse so she can help people. 

    “I can relate to patients because I know what it’s like to be sick and in the hospital,” Jillian says. “And I know that miracles really can happen. •

    Adrian got his kidney in July. Now he’s back at school. And he can play soccer.

    Jillian, now 18, is back at school too. She’ll graduate in May. She wants to be a nurse. 

    “I can relate to patients because I know what it’s like to be sick and in the hospital,” she says. “And I know that miracles really can happen.” 

    In July, Adrian had his kidney transplant, and now he’s back at school and able to play soccer again.

    Jillian, now 18, is back at school too and will graduate in May. She wants to be a nurse so she can help people. 

    “I can relate to patients because I know what it’s like to be sick and in the hospital,” Jillian explains. “And I know that miracles really can happen.”