Gunnar Naughton underwent donor nephrectomy in Fall 2024. He began the screening process through the National Kidney Registry without a recipient in mind, but during his medical examination, he decided to direct a kidney voucher to a Marine veteran. A quick web search led him to DOVE Transplant. The interstate logistics of it all were […]

Bert (donor) and Richie (recipient) are both doing GREAT. They had a chance to meet for the first time yesterday and allowed us to capture the moment. Nothing is as rewarding or gratifying as witnessing their deep connection. It is a long journey to get to this moment and it is so worth it! View […]

Kimberly Beukema contacting DOVE when she saw a “success story” profiled on Fox News. She comes from a military family and her own son served in the Marines Corps. She had thought about kidney donation in past but wasn’t compelled to act until she learned she could help a Veteran in need. Kimberly is a […]

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Margarite DiSpirito is another extraordinary woman who after seeing a news story on DOVE reached out to learn how she could donate a kidney to benefit a Veteran in need. Despite many hurdles and a long evaluation process Margarite was driven and felt a calling to donate. On Feb 24th Margarite donated to Wil Serrano […]

“I am not a veteran, or a donor responder. This is a way to help someone else and set an example for me kids… you can’t wait for others to step up – so I did” Jennifer Sayles is a mom of 4 and she responded to a DOVE local news story that profiled Jim […]

Danny Murray and his wife Leah traveled from North Carolina to Cooperman Barnabas in NJ. Danny donated as a voucher donation through the National Kidney Registry. 22 days after Danny’s donation, Army Reserve Veteran and active-duty police officer, Beverly Gravely, received her kidney transplant. By participating in a paired exchange Danny was able to help […]

Martha knew about George through her husband’s network. She felt called to help when reading his post on social media. Her kidney recipient is George. He is an Army Veteran who served as a Platoon Leader in Vietnam. He then served as a Chaplain in the Reserves for many years. He is beloved by many. […]

When Lucia saw a Facebook post that her Army buddy, Michael, needed a kidney transplant, she stepped up immediately to be evaluated. Despite being blood type compatible and nearly medically cleared, Lucia was devastated to hear she couldn’t move forward since she was not a good “match” for Michael. Their transplant center did not participate […]

Joe Axel never met his recipient Sid Khan in person. They knew each other for years in the PlayStation Community. When Joe saw a DOVE post about Sid needing a kidney transplant – he stepped up right away to see if he could donate one of his. Joe travelled from Michigan, with his fiancee Candy, […]

“I am proud to be the first DOVE donor and hope to inspire others to follow.” Jon Taylor, a Combat Vet/Medic, donated his kidney in October 2020 at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas. This helped set up a chain of transplants that ultimately led to fellow Veteran Chief Bennie undergoing a transplant in […]

Hayley is a mom of three young children and a military spouse who lives in Idaho. When she saw an article in Women’s Day Magazine featuring another DOVE pair – she knew it was a sign and was her time to be a donor. She learned about kidney donation at a young age and always […]

Kelly Arbaugh, a Social Worker who has spent her career supporting Veterans at her local VA center in West Virginia, started the donor evaluation process last September when she learned about DOVE on the news. Kelly met her Veteran/recipient (Van) last night, and here is what she shared about the experience: “My sister and I […]

A living kidney donor chain enables not only a veteran to benefit from a living donor but at least one other recipient who was part of an inter-center chain. Valerie Riley is a Staff Sergeant in the Ohio Army National Guard. She contacted DOVE after seeing a story from a military journal about Jon Wayne […]

DOVE’s 31st team transplant surgery took place on 9/11 at VCU Hume-Lee Transplant Center. Dathan (recipient) and Eric K. (donor) are both USMC Veterans. We are deeply appreciative of Eric K., his family, and all organ donors! Many people contacted DOVE to learn about donating to help Dathan. Many have expressed an interest in moving […]

Terri donated her kidney to benefit her fiance, Pete, an Air Force Veteran. Initially, Terri was told she wasn’t eligible to donate because she had an incompatible blood type with her fiance. However, once Terri learned about the paired exchange program, she and Pete located a participating center near their home in Colorado. Terri underwent […]

DOVE Team 36 was transplanted at NYP/Cornell on March 7, 2024. Susan traveled from Virginia to NY to donate to Karolyn, an Army Veteran who served 20 years. We are grateful to Susan, her husband Craig, and all organ donors!   View More Donors Interested in Becoming a DOVE Donor? Click the button below to […]

Alicia is a mom, a grandmom, and a teacher. She is also her recipient Jeffrey’s cousin! She traveled from Ohio to Pittsburgh to undergo testing and surgery. She is looking forward to Jeffrey feeling restored and leaving behind five years of chronic dialysis. Jeffrey is an Army veteran who served over 26 years. Jeffrey’s service […]

Sheila donated her kidney to Navy Veteran Ron after many bumps in the evaluation and scheduling process. Sheila was steadfast in her commitment to donate to Ron – even though they had never met. While Sheila was cleared to donate several months ago, she waited for Ron to be ready medically. This is why they […]

“It took a DOVE national campaign for me to realize that a fellow officer from my own department needed a kidney. It is not in our DNA as officers to ask for help. I’m hoping other officers will consider donating to Veterans through DOVE and not hesitate to reach out for help when they need […]

Amanda Richardson donated her kidney to Jesus Alvarez at Walter Reed on December 30, 2021. She is officially DOVE Team Donor #6 and proud to wear her new Uniform!   View More Donors Interested in Becoming a DOVE Donor? Click the button below to learn more about the process and eligibility requirements. Learn More

John Potawa DOVE Donor #24 Denise Brownlee (kidney donor) and Chakita Harrington #navyveteran (recipient) met for the first time just before surgery. Denise first learned about Chakita when reading her profile on the @dovetransplant website. Denise and Chakita participated in a #kidneyexchange program, which enabled Chakita to find a better-suited match out of a larger […]

Altruistic Kidney Donor Denise Brownlee (kidney donor) and Chakita Harrington #navyveteran (recipient) met for the first time just before surgery. Denise first learned about Chakita when reading her profile on the @dovetransplant website. Denise and Chakita participated in a #kidneyexchange program, which enabled Chakita to find a better-suited match out of a larger pool of […]

Altruistic Kidney Donor Amanda and her sister were able to meet her recipient, Army Veteran David Hardaway, and his wife, for the first time yesterday. Amanda shared they were all full of tears and blessings and it was a wonderfully special moment. Amanda felt destined to be a kidney donor as a special way to […]

Altruistic Kidney Donor Erik L contacted DOVE after learning about our program on @foxnews last May. He lives in Arizona but wanted to be matched with a Veteran who was listed at the VA Transplant Center in DC. By participating in an exchange program, Erik was able to donate his kidney last month at a […]

Altruistic Kidney Donor Lynn Robinson donated to a Marine who served 28 years and she traveled from Colorado to Arizona to donate – she is legally blind as well but does not let any challenge stand in her way or her devotion to Veterans. Lynn stepped forward to help a Veteran in need. She hopes […]

Altruistic Kidney Donor Military service runs through the Cuevas family. Tony is on active duty and took some time off to donate his kidney to his father, Antonio Cuevas who is an Army Veteran who served 12.5 years. Thank you to Tony (and his support team!) for your service and generous life-saving kidney donation. View […]

Altruistic Kidney Donor “Too many people wait around for a deceased donor, and time waits for no one, especially those on borrowed time. I knew it was something God had placed in my path, and as a social worker, advocate for veterans, and veteran myself, everything about DOVE aligned with what I believed in and […]

Brothers, Dave and Peter, underwent surgery at Largo Hospital in Florida. Surgery was on May 4th and the hospital staff is amazed at how well the recovery is going. Peter flew to Florida from Minnesota to donate and will be returning home on 5/19. In the meantime, these brothers who hadn’t connected in a long […]

On March 6, 2026, Dana Harwood was on the operating table at UC San Diego Transplant Center. Most people would be nervous, but not Harwood. View More Donors Interested in Becoming a DOVE Donor? Click the button below to learn more about the process and eligibility requirements. Learn More