Bound by Gratitude
“Donna and I have forged a real friendship and have met each other for lunch in Phoenix for several years since the transplant,” Alice Hanson-Drew says. “I am thrilled with our relationship. She is a wonderful person who does important things in the world.”
Today, Aug. 3, we remember one of our favorite stories of friendship that blossomed from the gift of donation. Alice and Donna Halterman have a unique bond brought together by a donor’s selfless act in a time of need.
In August 2014, Erika Anne Hanson was rushed to the hospital after a relapse with a substance use disorder. Though Erika struggled with addiction for many years, “in the end, she was able to keep on supporting other people in their lives. That’s who she was and what she’d want,” says Erika’s mother, Alice.
What Erika wanted for this world happened to be what Donna desperately needed.
“I had an acute hypertensive episode, which led to multiple organ failure,” she says. “All my organs recovered except my kidneys.”
While extremely rare, Halterman is not alone. Approximately 1% of patients with high blood pressure will experience an acute hypertensive episode—also known as AHE, according to an article published by the National Library of Medicine. Going through dialysis and on the national transplant waiting list for three years, a nameless stranger gave her a second chance through a kidney transplant at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
Over the decade since her transplant, she’s learned about her donor from her donor’s mother, Alice.
Lend a Hand to a Friend in Need
Erika’s generosity as an organ donor allowed Donna to continue living life to the fullest, and this gift of life blossomed into a bond like no other. In honor of International Friendship Day, you have the opportunity to extend love and compassion, like you would to a friend, to someone you may never meet.
Register as an organ and tissue donor today at DonateLifeAZ.org or next time you visit an Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Services location to renew or apply for your driver’s license or ID.