My name is LaVise, and I proudly call myself a transplant warrior. I share my journey not only as a story of survival but as a testimony of faith, perseverance, and the power of organ donation.

In June 2015, I was diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease. Overnight, my life changed. I entered this new reality with determination, telling myself I would fight and never give up. Dialysis became part of my routine, and after six weeks my body adjusted. I returned to work as a special education teacher, completing my dialysis treatments at night so I could keep living with purpose.

But the journey was never easy. My first fistula became infected, and my second ruptured, a moment that nearly cost me my life. Complications continued when I developed Steel Syndrome during surgery, leaving me unable to use my right hand. Doctors doubted I’d recover, but through months of therapy and relentless faith, I regained full function. That became a turning point and proof that I could overcome even the darkest moments.

My care team at Hackensack University Medical Center noticed the emotional toll I was carrying and encouraged counseling. Therapy gave me my fire back. I leaned on an incredible support system of family, friends, and even strangers who lifted me with their prayers and encouragement.

Then in 2022, my health collapsed again. I stopped walking, developed COVID, endured emergency surgery, and battled sepsis. Multiple attempts at peritoneal dialysis failed. By late that year, my nephrologist told me the truth: a transplant was my only option.

In February 2023, I met Dr. Michael J. Goldstein at Hackensack. After reviewing my case, I was relisted and placed on an urgent medically necessary transplant list on March 20. Just days later, I was getting weaker and weaker until, on March 24 at 6:30 p.m., my phone rang.

“Hi LaVise, are you ready?” the voice said. At first, I didn’t understand. Then came the words that would change my life forever:
“It’s time. Your kidney is ready.”

On March 25, 2023, I received my life-saving transplant. Despite complications, I was covered by faith, prayer, and God’s protection. I am here today alive, thriving, and living my second chance.

Since then, my journey has become about more than survival. I’ve become a volunteer with the NJ Sharing Network, a dialysis mentor with Quality Insights, and a Community Manager for the TransplantLyfe Forum. I’ve planned fundraisers to support transplant patients still waiting and used my voice to inspire hope wherever I can.

One of my proudest moments came when I walked in my very first 5Ksomething I never could have imagined while tied to a dialysis machine. That finish line wasn’t just about distance it was about victory, gratitude, and honoring the donor whose gift makes every step possible.

I am proof that behind every second chance is a donor family’s legacy of love. My transplant is not the end of my story, it is the beginning of my mission to ensure others know that organ donation saves lives.