Farin Doran

“I work in healthcare as a CT scan technician at MUSC, and I see a lot of sick patients. I got into this field because I’ve always had a heart for wanting to help people. I am a dedicated blood donor and now, a living kidney donor,” shared Farin.  

“I met Jimmy and his wife in October of 2023 while I was performing the CAT scan that would determine if he was eligible for a transplant. Jimmy had been undergoing dialysis for five years. After the scan, I casually joked, ‘I’ll be praying for you, and if you ever need a kidney, I’m O positive. ’ I didn’t know at the time that joke would change my life and Jimmy’s life almost two years later.  

I prayed about this decision and began to take the next steps to see if I could be a living kidney donor. I remember getting the call that I was a match while sitting in a coffee shop. It was surreal. I was a match for this stranger and would have the opportunity to save his life.  

For me, donating one of my kidneys wasn’t ‘hard’. ‘Hard’ is going through dialysis every day, not being able to work, wondering if you are going to be here to watch your kids grow up, and not being able to travel because you are hoping for ‘the call’. What I did, donating a kidney, was easy in comparison. I would do it all over again if I could.  

This process has brought me so much awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and the need for living donors. We aren’t all blessed with healthy bodies; you could save someone’s life. My whole family is now an advocate for donation. We all have seen firsthand the impact that donating a kidney can have. For my recipient, Jimmy, his life has changed drastically. He doesn’t need dialysis anymore, he can go back to work and travel, he can be a father and a husband and ultimately get his life and his freedom back. For anyone hesitant about donating, I would just say pray about it. Learn the facts. You will know if it is right for you.”