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    In the Loop: Kicking Off a Kidney Donation ‘Chain Reaction’

kidney transplant patient Jennifer Tamol in her hospital bed
Jennifer Tamol is part of a trend. A trend Martin Mai, M.D., a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus and chair of Mayo's Division of Transplant Medicine, would very much like to see grow. Four years ago, Jennifer decided she wanted to donate one of her kidneys. What makes her decision so unique, the Florida-Times Union reports, is that she didn't actually know anyone who needed a kidney. That made her a "non-directed altruistic donor," which, according to Jennifer, initially confused those around her. "Half the people think I'm completely crazy," she tells the paper. "They may be right."

Or, as the paper reports, it may be that Jennifer just wants to help others in one of the most generous and humanitarian ways possible. "I mean, obviously I like being able to help somebody," she says. "I have something that I don't strictly need, so to give somebody their life back ..."

Read the rest of  Jennifer's story.

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This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.

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