Wake Forest Living Donor

02/19/2026

What a wonderful time was had by all as Sandra Arnold, family, friends and patrons recently came together at Dave & Buster's in Cary, NC. Attendees enjoyed a scavenger hunt and learned about living kidney donation through educational materials and resources. I enjoyed sharing about our Living Donor Champion Program. Kudos to Sandra for spreading the word and sharing her story in her search for a living donor.

08/20/2025

It was a wonderful and impactful day at the NC Transplant Athletes Author Meet & Greet. This Donor Awareness event was filled with insightful personal stories of hope and resilience. Darryl Ellis and Stormi Murtie, co-authors of "Because of Organ Donation" eagerly signed books and expressed gratitude to all who attended. Pam Smith, the Living Donor Coach at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist shared about our new Living Donor Champion Program. To learn more about this program, which includes tips and tools for finding a living kidney donor, contact Pam at Pamela.W.Smith@AdvocateHealth.org.

08/14/2025

Plan to join us on Saturday at 9:00am for this free Donor Awareness event. The Author Meet & Greet will be a wonderful opportunity to hear powerful transplant stories, meet the authors of "Because of Organ Donation" and connect with representatives from organizations, including Pam Smith, the Living Donor Coach at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. She will be on hand to share about our new Living Donor Champion Program. All are welcome!

08/06/2025

You’re Invited! Join the North Carolina Transplant Athletes for a Free Donor Awareness Event—a celebration of life, hope, and the power of organ donation.
Author Meet & Greet: Celebrate the recent release of the inspiring book, "Because of Organ Donation".
Meet chapter authors and NCTA board members Stormi Murtie and Darryl Ellis, along with other dedicated NCTA team members and representatives. You’ll also have a chance to connect with Pam Smith, Living Donor Coach at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. You'll also hear powerful personal transplant stories that highlight the life-changing impact of organ donation. All are welcome!

NCTA Author Meet & Greet
Saturday, August 16th from 9 AM –11 AM
HonorBridge, 7000 Millhouse Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

05/19/2025

Get your free movie premier ticket today! Matitri Productions, in partnership with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Abdominal Organ Transplant Center invite you to our premier of Abundant. Abundant is a documentary film that follows with the unbelievable events surrounding extreme altruists who donated kidneys to complete strangers.
Scan the QR code for your free ticket to our screening on May 20th at 7pm. This event will take place at AMC Hanes 12. 1501 SW Hanes Mall BLVD, Winston Salem
Click https://www.eventbrite.com/e/abundant-screening-event-tickets-1337455026989?aff=oddtdtcreator to reserve your free ticket!

You are invited to see ABUNDANT at AMC Hanes 12

05/13/2025

Matitri Productions, in partnership with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Abdominal Organ Transplant Center invite you to our premier of Abundant. Abundant is a documentary film that follows with the unbelievable events surrounding extreme altruists who donated kidneys to complete strangers.
Scan the QR code for your free ticket to our screening on May 20th at 7pm. This event will take place at AMC Hanes 12. 1501 SW Hanes Mall BLVD, Winston Salem
Click https://www.eventbrite.com/e/abundant-screening-event-tickets-1337455026989?aff=oddtdtcreator to reserve your free ticket!

You are invited to see ABUNDANT at AMC Hanes 12

11/15/2024

Csilla - Thanks for sharing your recent adventures with us. Csilla donated her kidney 3 years ago to save the life of a stranger. She continues to amaze us, most recently with her spectacular finish at TCS NYC Marathon. Nothing can slow Csilla down, and we are thrilled to celebrate her most recent achievement!









To find out more about living kidney donation: Check out https://www.wakehealth.edu/specialty/a/abdominal-organ-transplant-program/living-donor-program
Or email our team at LivingDonation@wakehealth.edu

08/07/2023

We love celebrating this pair! Elisa Kay Goebel and Dori Goebel This amazing mother-daughter team are also BOTH living kidney donors and amazing advocates for living donation. It was great seeing them celebrating at the recent Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show Great Gatsby gala. They are wonderful examples of generosity and altruism AND of living life to the fullest.







To find out more about living kidney donation: Check out https://www.wakehealth.edu/.../abdom.../living-donor-program
Or email our team at LivingDonation@wakehealth.edu

08/04/2023

As our hospital celebrates ... We are thankful to celebrate more than 53 years of LIVING DONOR kidney transplantation (Dr. Jesse Meredith performed the first Living Donor kidney transplant in 1970 between brothers).

Today, our abdominal organ transplant program is the largest one in North Carolina and one of the busiest in the Southeast, performing a transplant every 33 hours.






To find out more about living kidney donation: Check out https://www.wakehealth.edu/.../abdom.../living-donor-program
Or email our team at LivingDonation@wakehealth.edu

06/09/2023

Our most sincere apologies for this late acknowledgement, but it is our honor to celebrate this Dynamic Duo. Kidney donor Chad and his recipient JJ wasted no time getting back at it racing and shredding in a recent US MTB series event in South Carolina ( ). You both amaze us!!

To find out more about living kidney donation: Check out https://www.wakehealth.edu/.../abdom.../living-donor-program
Or email our team at LivingDonation@wakehealth.edu

04/28/2023

Follow-up post to share link to new story about living kidney donation on Fox8 - thanks to our star and former kidney donor Laura Laxton!

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/winston-salem/winston-salem-is-kidney-transplant-capitol-of-north-carolina/

“After I was qualified to become a donor, I had decided that even if I was not a match for my friend, somebody was getting a kidney,” Laxton recalled. Laura donated to National Kidney Registry and her kidney was matched to a recipient here at Wake Forest Baptist.

To find out more about living kidney donation: Check out https://www.wakehealth.edu/.../abdom.../living-donor-program
Or email our team at LivingDonation@wakehealth.edu