In 2012, after a decade of suffering from kidney failure — nephrologists didn’t know what caused it — I met the staff at the Notre-Dame Hospital transplant clinic, and to this day, I am grateful for their professionalism, understanding and dedication.

My kidney function wasn’t even at a vital minimum, so I needed outside help, and that meant long-term dialysis and a somewhat diminished quality of life. They explained my options to me: a kidney from a deceased or living donor.

My husband automatically offered me one of his. But for medical and compatibility reasons, the team couldn’t consider his offer. After that let-down, I was talking to my family one day when my sister suggested that she get assessed by the donor program. The process just flowed naturally from there and as soon as she met the medical team, she was at ease with the whole thing.

Given the time it takes to carry out the tests and prepare for the transplant, I had to undergo dialysis for three months before having the transplant. After that, the operation went smoothly, and the new kidney kicked into action right away.

For my sister and me, it was a huge success. She is very proud of what she did for me and realizes just how much she helped change my life. And for me, it was truly life-changing: I have more energy, my appetite has improved, and I’m in better shape than I’ve been in for a long time. What she did for me really brought us closer!