More than 100,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, including over 6,000 Floridians.
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Wakulla County kidney transplant recipients share their personal stories to encourage life-saving donations
According to Donate Life America, someone is added to the transplant waiting list every eight minutes, and over 5,000 people die each year waiting for a procedure. Two local women who received kidney transplants are sharing their stories to encourage others to become organ donors.
Teresa Brannan has been diabetic since she was 23. She said not taking care of herself damaged her kidneys.
“Absolutely. I have been a diabetic since I was 23. A few years after, I’m not sure exactly which year I went on insulin. And as most young people, I thought I was 10 foot tall and bulletproof and didn’t care of myself the way I should. I ran high sugars. I just I partied, I, you know, just I didn’t sleep, I didn’t eat right, I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. So through all the years of not taking care of myself, it damaged my body, damage to my kidneys,” Brannan said.
On April 2nd, 2025, Brannan received the call that she was getting a kidney and went to Shand’s. She recalled the emotional moment of seeing the cooler containing her new kidney.
“We actually saw the cooler. We saw the people bringing it in with the kidney. That hit home again. You know, it made me start thinking about this person lost the life, and I get to live because they lost their life. It was just extremely emotional, you know, thinking about what their family is going through and how hard it has to be, and that I’m so elated that I’m about to get a second chance at life because this person lost their life. It is so hard to come to terms with and be okay with it,” Brannan said.
Kristie Roberts also needed a kidney and waited from about 2020 to 2023 before receiving her transplant.
“Very exciting. So I called my sister and told her we got the call, and basically was telling everybody they better hurry up or I was driving myself there,” Roberts said.
Roberts has worked in the medical field for about 35 years. She said her transplant changed her perspective on the patients she sees at the hospital.
“Well, I just notice now all the people that truly have kidney disease that probably don’t even realize they have kidney disease, but just looking at the patients that I look at here at the hospital when I’m here working, and seeing that they actually do have kidney disease and knowing all the people out there that actually would benefit from donations,” Roberts said.
Brannan and Roberts both said the easiest way to help those waiting for a transplant is to become an organ donor. Information on organ donation and how to register can be found at donateLife.net.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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