Waukesha County supervisor donating kidney to stranger, raises awareness
WAUKESHA, Wis. - A Waukesha man is doing something pretty rare: he’s donating his kidney to someone he doesn’t know.
Mike Crowley has a kidney to spare. On Wednesday, Jan. 8, Crowley is having surgery to donate his left kidney to a complete stranger.
Crowley has been documenting his donor journey since last fall.
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"Most people are good, they have a big heart," Crowley said. "It could be a mom, a grandfather, a child. They’ve been waiting."
Supervisor Michael Crowley
The 60-year-old says he wanted to do this because he could. He’s made a career out of helping others.
Crowley is a member of the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors. He’s also spent the last four years as CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin.
"Saw the helplessness, the hopelessness," he said. "That's a terrible way to deal with this disease when you need dialysis three times a week."
The National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin’s Community Outreach Director, Carolyn Spath, said there are 1,200 people right now in Wisconsin waiting for a transplant. While many receive a kidney from a family member or friend, Spath said only about 1,000 people in the U.S donate their kidney to someone they don’t know.
"What really lets kidney patients get back to something resembling a normal life is a transplant," Spath said. "Anyone could do it. And because Mike is so willing to share his journey, I think it’s a great opportunity to normalize living donors."
He said one incentive to becoming a living donor is a voucher you can give to a family member through the National Kidney Registry. If they need a kidney, it moves them to the top of the list.
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"Our son has Type 1 diabetes. He’s 28 now. He was two when he was diagnosed," Crowley said. "That disease is ravaging his body."
Crowley’s gift could eventually help his own family.
But for a man who leads by example, Crowley's ultimate goal is to get others to share the love and open up.
"Now I can give them hope," he said. "That’s what we are about at the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin – hope."
Crowley said the person getting his kidney is from Wisconsin, but that’s all he knows. If both Crowley and the recipient agree to contact each other, they could eventually meet.
Those interested in registering to be a potential donor can visit the UW Health Transplant Center's website.