Alanna Kennedy’s life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with End Stage Kidney Disease at the age of 22 in 2020. After 2.5 years of dialysis, her world transformed in January 2023 when she received a life-saving kidney transplant. This life-changing moment gave her back her future, offering her a renewed lease on life and a chance to embrace opportunities that once seemed out of reach. Now, Alanna is determined to give thanks by participating in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon, celebrating her renewed health and the extraordinary gift she received. Give to Alanna’s Fundraiser

In January 2023, my life changed in a way I’ll never forget. After 2.5 incredibly difficult years on dialysis, I received a life-saving kidney transplant-and with it, a second chance at living the life I thought I had nearly lost. 

 

My journey started unexpectedly in 2020, when I was just 22 years old. Out of nowhere, I was diagnosed with End Stage Kidney Failure. One day I was going about my life as a normal young adult, living through the pandemic and the next, I was told I would need dialysis to survive. Everything moved so fast. I didn’t even know what dialysis was at first, and suddenly it became my entire world. 

 

Dialysis was my lifeline, but it certainly wasn’t living. I was constantly tired, tied to a machine several days a week, and watched the life I had worked so hard to build slip further and further away. Social events, work opportunities, even just having the energy to go outside-it all felt impossible. For 2.5 years, I existed in survival mode, holding on to the hope that one day, a kidney would come. 

 

That day finally came in January 2023. 

 

When I got the call that a kidney match had been found, I was completely overwhelmed-grateful, shocked, and deeply emotional. But with that gratitude came the heavy realization that someone had lost their life for me to have mine. I think about my donor every single day. I don’t know who they were, but I know that because of them-and the incredible compassion of their family-I’m alive. Their selfless gift gave me more than just a kidney. It gave me my future back. 

 

Since the transplant, I’ve been able to do things I hadn’t done in years-travel, spend quality time with loved ones, make plans, dream again. I have energy. I feel like myself again. I’m truly living. 

 

I’m sharing my story because I want to honor my donor and their family, and to raise awareness about the power of organ donation. It’s easy to forget how fragile life is until something like this happens. Becoming a donor is one of the most meaningful decisions someone can make. It’s not just about saving lives-it’s about giving people back the chance to live fully. 

 

To my donor’s family: thank you. Thank you for your strength, your compassion, and your yes during a time of heartbreak. I will carry your loved one’s legacy with me for the rest of my life. I live every day in gratitude-for the gift I received, and for the chance to tell this story. 

Give to Alanna’s Fundraiser