A Kidney for Elliott Brown

03/16/2026

Received this letter today from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and the Kane Family. It struck me because I immediately recognized the name and child as being next door to us in ICU post Elliott’s kidney transplant.

We often don’t know each others stories and are anonymous to one another in one of the most frightening times of our lives. You may make brief eye contact long enough to silently convey “we get it, you are not alone, I’m praying for your child” without breaking.

There’s a powerful solidarity amongst every single parent in an ICU or hospital children’s wing that requires no words. We all want the same thing, our child to not feel pain, to find a path to healing, and to simply live their lives.

And all of that simply wouldn’t be possible without the unbelievably dedicated team at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. They are called to heal and go above and beyond everyday to save our children and give them the best opportunity to thrive. That journey doesn’t end when you exit the hospital and they have built a model that does their best to support kids near and far as they live their lives.

It’s what has enabled Elliott to be at Notre Dame or anywhere ( ok, maybe not anywhere) he can live his best life and make a difference in the world.
That matters when you’ve gone through life saving measures and want to live life to the fullest.

Consider supporting Johns Hopkins Children’s Center with the QR code in the letter, because what they do is above and beyond in making a difference in many kids lives! 💚

01/21/2026

One day late ( of course) honoring MLK Day with one of my favorite quotes from him that reinforces our purpose in life of serving others.

I wholeheartedly believe in a life of service to others but admittedly often feel guilty for not doing enough of what I perceive to be service to others like volunteering with the needy more, visiting the sick, helping the homeless etc.

But this year, I had an epiphany after watching the series “The Bear” on Sunday evening. Struggling with his purpose, questionable talents, and value to the world, one of the main characters is sent to a very high end Four Seasons-esque restaurant to train on their incredible focus to details, personalization, and creating a customer experience that makes each customer feel special.

It’s a massive amount of work and preparation to deliver such a personalized customer experience, so the main character is blown away and questioning such an investment, not getting what such an experience does for somebody else.

The staff go on to walk him through their service to others: “Every day is the freaking Super Bowl,” while Jess, another employee has researched every detail about the guests advises that “Every night you make somebody’s day.”

“I just like being able to serve other people,” Garrett responds. “Taking care of people is like working at a hospital. Restaurants and hospitals use the same word: ‘hospitality.’”

Terry describes the mushroom peeling as “time well spent” not because every guest will notice it, but because a few will and they’ll appreciate it.

Indeed, it is the little things that matter in serving others , in part because lots of little things add up to big things and big impact in the people receiving your service.

Whether you’re performing transplants, donating organs, or just showing up with some gummy bears because they won’t let you donate, people will just remember how you made them feel. And gummy bears are just pure joy!

All to say, as MLK said, we should all ask what we’re doing for others. But your purpose is not the thing you do.
It is the thing that happens in others when you do what you do. That isn’t always heroic actions but it yields heroic results 🩷

01/15/2026

Shout out for the amazing medical team at Johns Hopkins Pediatrics Nephrology team and medical staff for saving our son’s life one year ago and everyday on this journey! Angels on earth! 🙏❤️
And all female to boot! Dr Olga Charnaya ( nephrologist), Dr. Elizabeth King ( transplant surgeon), Rene Shumate ( transplant coordinator), Alison Torres (nurse practitioner) are all rockstars and have been our saving grace everyday!

01/03/2026

One year ago, on January 2, 2025, the call for a deceased kidney matched to Elliott came at 5:41am.

It is beyond miraculous and transformational to witness the gift of life that Elliott has been given.

While the transplant journey is full of ups and downs, it’s nothing compared to the anguish that the deceased donor family has experienced. Our hearts and prayers are with that family and I just want to let the universe know how grateful we are for this specific donor angel and for all Elliott’s willing donor angels on this journey. The greatest gift in all of this is the gift of the human spirit and kindness we’ve experienced. Forever grateful 🙏❤️

So proud of Elliott for his continuous perseverance, positivity, fight, and overall love of life! He lives life to the fullest and pays it forward with service to others.

We continue prayers on the road ahead but thank God, humanity, and his incredible medical team that he has made it successfully through the first year post transplant and is living his best life💚🙏💪!

Thank you all!!

12/02/2025

Today marks 11 months since Elliott received renewed life via kidney transplant on 1/2/25!

On this Giving Tuesday, we give eternal thanks to those that have decided to donate an organ, deceased or living.

It’s more than an organ, it’s literally giving a chance at life to many others! 💚

What better way to celebrate Giving Tuesday than by giving others a second chance at life? 💙💚

More than 100,000 men, women and children are waiting for lifesaving transplants in the United States, but YOU can make a difference!

As a registered organ donor, you have the ability to save up to 8 lives and improve 75 more one day!

Embrace generosity. Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.

11/08/2025

This week on 11/02/25, Elliott marked his 10 month anniversary of receiving the gift of life via kidney transplant on 01/02/25.

While everyday is a gift, especially when you’re been given a second chance at life, everyday in the first year is extra special due to the increased risks as your body adjusts to a new organ.

While this first year has had many bumps in the road and will include a lifelong journey of mitigating rejection, everyday post transplant is always a gift of renewal, possibility, and hope.

Attaching a pic of Elliott interviewed at ND this week while he dined with friends and was asked his favorite subject. Happy and healthy, he and we would say he’s living his best life!

But his best life only occurs because he also knows his worst life. Our best lives aren’t our perfect lives, but ones that are keeping hope and having the possibility to enjoy the little things like biology, meeting a new friend, going to school.

Our worst days stay with us, and if we rise from the despair, they shape our perspective and turn the average little things into our best lives🩷

So, here’s to 10 months post transplant, finding your best life in small joys, and keeping hope when things are rough that all things will rise again if you be given the gift of perspective and keep hope.

Thankful to all the souls on this journey!

10/31/2025

What a wonderful gift to humanity Jesse Eisenberger is giving by offering an altruistic kidney donation.

Read the story to see the power of one altruistic donation in saving multiple lives through paired exchange.

Never underestimate the power you have to change and save many lives 🩷

“It’s a No Brainer” when you realize your power

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1186527483337294&set=a.636053755051339&type=3
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EXCLUSIVE: Jesse Eisenberg Reveals He Is Donating a Kidney to a Stranger: 'A No-Brainer' on.today.com/49v9VrJ

10/03/2025

Today, 10/2/25 , marks nine months post kidney transplant and renewed gift of life Elliott received on 1/2/25!

How appropriate that Elliott’s college dorm posted pics today with their motto of “Per Ardua Ad Spes” or “Through Adversity to Hope”. He’s living proof everyday!

This exact weekend one year ago, Elliott’s doctor made the call to start dialysis due to imminent full failure. It’s hard to even grasp the depth of this journey, but perspective from Oct last year to now certainly helps.

One year later, we’ve gone from adversity to hope, hospital to college, surviving to thriving, thanks to a beautiful soul that donated a second chance at life to others.

Thanks to all the beautiful souls that have and continue to support us all on this lifelong journey. You all have literally changed adversity into hope and that’s the power we all have when we use our gifts to help others.

How lucky are we? And not because we’re all Irish! ☘️ 🙏💚

07/25/2025

07/25/2025

We know all too well how scary it can be to watch your kidneys decline to the point of failure due to conditions outside your control.

Once you’re at this point, you must get in line with 100k people waiting up to 10 years for a deceased donor match or go find an angel living donor willing to give directly or in a paired exchange. It’s up to each patient to find their donor, so this is where community makes the difference!

Sharing the story of Abe below as we help find him the gift of life that Elliott received, moving from surviving to thriving.

Please read, consider, and share ❤️

Abe Frank Needs a Kidney | Can You Help?

05/05/2025

At 3:52 pm, January 2, 2025, Elliott was wheeled into a six hour surgery to receive the gift of life from an angel donor kidney. We prayed for success and grieved the loss another family suffered.

Exactly four months later to the date and time, on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 3:50 ( time stamped on our family pic before he got in the car) , Elliott was off to his senior prom!

A beautiful culmination to a milestone week that kicked off with a return in person to school and celebrated with classmates the next step commitments, Notre Dame class of 2029 for Elliott 🍀

When you decide to donate an organ, living or deceased, this is what just one organ can do for somebody’s life in just four months!

It’s truly miraculous! 💚🙏

No words can convey the gratitude to our donors, but his life ahead says it all!