To commemorate Pride Month, we speak with two members of the LGBTQ+ community who have successfully navigated the living kidney donation journey on behalf of a loved one. Jonathan and Mimi share their donor stories and discuss how transplant centers in the United States support living donors from the LGBTQ+ community.

This episode features the remarkable journey of Georgia State Senator John Albers and his son Will. In August of 2020, Will was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that he was in kidney failure and would need to go on dialysis immediately. Like many parents who find themselves in similar circumstances, John stepped up and became a direct living kidney donor for his son, but he didn’t stop there. Senator Albers wrote and pushed through the Giving the Gift of Life Act in the State of Georgia—groundbreaking legislation in support of living donors. Join Senator Albers and Will as they share their story of living kidney donation and transplantation, opening up about the emotional and logistical challenges they navigated and how their family's transplantation story has transformed Senator Albers into a dedicated advocate for living kidney donation. Don't miss this compelling narrative of advocacy and hope.

Join host Michael Lollo as he interviews transplant surgeon Dr. Anthony Watkins and the two discuss Dr. Watkins’ journey to become a nationally recognized surgeon and how the APOL1 gene impacts the African American community of donors and recipients.