There's an episode of Grey's Anatomy where a total of 8 people get together to do one big group kidney donation. It's labeled a "domino surgery" where everybody is donating or receiving and they all tie together. The episode is strewn with drama and the whole surgery falls apart and comes together again. That's great writing for a show and all, but what is kidney donation really like?

I have a very good friend named Sean who has been in kidney failure for quite some time. Now, Sean and I haven't known each other very long, and our friendship was surface level at best. But, we started talking more and more. One day, out of nowhere, something inside me said "you need to donate a kidney to him". At first, I was scared of these thoughts. I thought "how can I possibly give away one of my major organs to somebody I hardly know?". But the more I thought about it, the more I started to realize what a wonderful thing it would be.

I don't need both kidney's to survive. And why keep them both if I can give one to someone who desperately needs it and who could live a longer, happier, and healthier life with part of my body?

I've only told a few people about this, and a lot of them have asked me why I would be willing to donate to someone who I worked with for 2 months. The answer is simple - because something told me to. It wasn't a person. It wasn't God. It was a voice inside me that told me to do so. And I've been thinking about it for a long time. I waited for this voice to tell me to forget it. I waited for this voice to tell me that we wouldn't be a blood or tissue match. But for the last several weeks, the voice hasn't died. It's gotten stronger. And my faith in donating my kidney is stronger than ever.

A true kidney donation from the heart doesn't require drama. It doesn't require a huge fancy "domino surgery". A kidney donation that comes from a friend to another friend; a loved one to a loved one; a monster to a monster; is simple, full of love, and free of doubt.

I am still going through the process of applying and testing to see if I can give part of myself to Sean, but something inside me says this is going to happen and it's one of the most exciting journey's I've taken in my life.