The donation of an organ for transplantation
is considered the ultimate gift of life. Yet, kidney donor
Sarah Van Valkenburg believes she was the one who received
a gift when she was able to donate a healthy kidney to
her husband who suffered from renal failure.
“Donating a kidney was absolutely the most
fulfilling thing I have ever done in my life,” says
the 31-year-old resident of Freehold, NJ.
“People talk about the milestones of their
life—that first car, a wedding, or their first child.
Well, this has been my highlight. Our
society just doesn’t understand what one person can
bring to another through organ donation,” she remarks
thoughtfully.
 Ms. Van Valkenburg admits she did
not know that the opportunity for living organ donation existed
until her husband Scott Clowes’kidneys failed. Mr. Clowes
has been a diabetic since he was a small boy and the disease
caused the decline of his kidneys. Mr. Clowes eventually
required dialysis treatments and was listed on the national
organ transplant waiting list. He remained on dialysis for
a year and a half while the couple waited anxiously for a
call saying that a cadaveric kidney was available for transplant.
But that call never came.
In the meantime, Ms. Van Valkenburg watched her
active, vibrant husband grow weak and frail. Eventually,
he had to stop working. “Scott would never ask me or
anyone to donate a kidney to him, but I saw his quality of
life decreasing. I went to the transplant center and began
the donor screening tests without his knowing.” It
turned out that this devoted couple was also a close blood
and tissue match. “At Christmas I told Scott that I
was giving him a kidney and there would be no questions asked.
He struggled with accepting the gift, but I felt it was best
for our family.”
Two years after making her altruistic donation,
Ms. Van Valkenburg remains passionate about her decision. “If
I could, I would do it again for a stranger in need and I
encourage others to think about making this profound impact
on another life,” she adds. “Sure, declaring
organ donation upon your death is important, but living donors
get to live with the feeling of fulfillment!”
The couple celebrates their kidversary every
year and considers it a bigger occasion than their wedding
anniversary. “The transplant has had more of an effect
on our lives than our wedding. Yes, our wedding made us happy,
but the transplant rescued my husband,” Ms. Van Valkenburg
explains. With the process of transplantation and recovery
complete, she reveals that they don’t talk much about
it anymore. “We did it as part of our partnership.
I am confident that he would do the same for me. Now, we
dwell on our chance for happiness together.”
With Mr. Clowes’ health and strength renewed,
the pair continues to look to the future. Ms. Van Valkenburg
plans to accelerate her studies in a master’s degree
program at Temple University.
Mr. Clowes is back to work, and together they are enjoying
vacations, canoeing and biking again.
With the same spirit of generosity that Ms. Van
Valkenburg applied to donating her kidney, the couple is
looking for new ways to support others. They are being screened
as volunteers for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program. “With
our lives and relationship strengthened by our experience,
we think we can help a child grow strong and prepare him
to handle whatever hardships he may have in his life,” she
explains.
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