Home / Health / Coworker's Gift: A Stranger's Kidney Saves Life
Coworker's Gift: A Stranger's Kidney Saves Life
10 Apr
Summary
- A coworker donated a kidney to a man she'd never met.
- The recipient had polycystic kidney disease and needed a transplant.
- The donation occurred after a workplace awareness drive.
Richard Tan, a New Hampshire resident diagnosed with hereditary polycystic kidney disease, received a life-saving kidney transplant from a coworker he had never met. This marked his second kidney transplant, following an initial one in 2009. By 2024, doctors advised Tan that another transplant was necessary, requiring him to undergo rigorous dialysis while continuing full-time work.
Southern New Hampshire Health organized an awareness drive in the summer of 2024 to find a donor for Tan. Nurse practitioner Carrie Illg volunteered, passed all necessary medical tests, and was selected as the donor in January 2025. Illg stated she felt an innate need to help Tan.
Before the transplant could proceed, Tan had to undergo a quadruple bypass surgery and a lengthy recovery period. Illg patiently waited until he was medically cleared. Tan described the experience as bittersweet, concerned about Illg's sacrifice but deeply fortunate for her gift.
The National Kidney Foundation reports that living donors generally lead full lives after donation, with a low risk of long-term issues and a recovery period of four to six weeks.
