A kidney for two: The Olivers’ gift of living organ donation

For Lori Oliver, donating a kidney to her husband wasn’t just about saving his life, it was about making sure they could continue enjoying the life they’d built together.

“People always say I gave Darren such a huge gift by donating my kidney to him,” Lori said. “But what they don’t understand is that it was also an incredible gift to me just to be able to have done that for him… for us.”

High school sweethearts from western PEI, Lori and Darren married in 1994, raised two

children, and built a busy, fulfilling life - she as a nurse, he as a teacher.  Darren had a potential kidney condition flagged in the early 2000s, but his health held steady until about five years ago, when routine bloodwork revealed declining kidney function. 

By early 2022, he was on dialysis.

Lori and Darren didn’t need to have a long conversation about what to do next. They both just knew. Because they share the same blood type, Lori naturally wanted to be the first person tested to see if she was a match to donate a kidney to him.  She also encouraged Darren’s family to get tested too, just in case. Everyone said yes, but in the end, it didn’t matter. Lori was a match.

“It was a no-brainer for us,” she said. “I didn’t think twice about what the process would entail.”

The months that followed were filled with appointments and tests. But what weighed heaviest on Lori wasn’t the testing, it was knowing that during recovery she wouldn’t be able to care for Darren the way she always had, as both a nurse and a wife. But their family and friends rallied together to be their support system, taking care of them, watching their dog, checking in. 

Surrounded by people she loved and a health care team that she trusted, Lori said they had no reason to feel nervous or afraid.

On October 17, 2022, Lori went into surgery first, followed by Darren. The transplant was a success. 

Darren’s colour returned, his energy picked up, and after a brief post-op scare, he recovered fully. By early 2023, his kidney function was above normal.

Now, the couple is back to travelling, enjoying time on the water, and preparing to walk their daughter down the aisle in a few weeks’ time. 

They’re living the life they imagined, without thinking about kidneys.

Living organ donation offers planned surgery, faster recovery, and often helps patients avoid dialysis. Yet only 18 per cent of Canada’s 3,212 transplants last year came from living donors.

Living donors can donate part of their liver, or one of their kidneys directly to someone they know, or as part of a chain of donors in the Kidney Paired Donation Program. You could also donate to a total stranger! If you would like more information about becoming a living donor, national resources are available through Canadian Blood Services.

In PEI, the Living Donor Reimbursement Program helps cover out-of-pocket costs. 

Islanders can register their decision to donate organs and tissues after death at makeitzero.ca or when renewing their PEI Health Card.