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For the Season 4 finale of Donor Diaries, Laurie sits down with Abundant director and co-producer Donald Griswold to talk about what really happened behind the scenes of making a documentary about living kidney donation.

Abundant started with an idea: What if we told the story of living donation in a way that felt less like a medical story and more like a story about people, relationships, and connection?

That simple idea turned into a four-year journey.

Laurie and Donald talk about the nationwide casting process, finding non-directed donors who were willing to share their stories, and why being “likable” was such an important part of choosing the people who would appear in the film. They revisit Crowdsource for Life at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, the chaos of pulling off a one-day production, the mic that failed almost immediately, and the moment when everything somehow came together.

They also talk about the responsibility that comes with making a film that could inspire someone to consider becoming a living donor. How do you tell a compelling story without making donation seem simple or risk-free? How do you create inspiration without turning donors into heroes? And what happens when someone watches the film and thinks, Maybe I could do this?

The conversation gets into the impact strategy behind Abundant, including connecting potential donors with resources, helping people understand their options, finding a transplant center, and connecting with other donors.

Most of all, this episode is about connection: the people who said yes, the people who helped make the film, and the unexpected ways one person’s decision to donate can ripple outward.

And after four years, Abundant is finally out in the world.

Links

Buy Abundant Here
Movie Trailer
Abundant Impact Strategy
Racial Disparity in Transplant
Become and Affiliate: email info@maitririverproductions.com

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GiftWorks Website
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A living donor says "yes." The transplant center says "no." What happens next?

This week on Donor Diaries, we sit down with Diane Hollingsworth, President and CEO of Eversight, a longtime leader in organ and tissue donation, and a two-time kidney transplant recipient. Diane has spent decades helping restore sight through cornea donation while also navigating the transplant journey herself, giving her a perspective that's both deeply personal and professionally unique.

Diane's kidney disease was discovered during a high-risk pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. She shares what it was like balancing a newborn in the NICU, young children at home, and the reality of starting dialysis before receiving a life-changing kidney from her mother. That first transplant lasted an incredible 33 years.

When it came time for a second transplant, Diane faced an obstacle many families don't expect. One transplant center declined her husband as a living donor, while another approved him. We discuss why transplant centers can make different decisions, how committee reviews influence the process, and how kidney paired exchange allowed her husband, Dave, to donate to a stranger so Diane could receive a compatible kidney before ever needing dialysis again.

Along the way, we also talk about:

• What the transplant evaluation and listing process really looks like
• Why wait times vary depending on where you're listed and your blood type
• How researching transplant centers and asking questions can open new opportunities
• A beautiful real-life example of how kidney paired exchange changes lives
• The emotional reality of recovering while your donor is in another hospital

Then we explore a topic we haven't covered before on Donor Diaries: cornea donation.

As President and CEO of Eversight, Diane explains what cornea donation is, what tissue is actually transplanted, how eye banks recover and transport donated tissue, why there isn't a waitlist for corneal transplants in the United States, and how donated tissue is restoring sight through transplantation while also advancing research and medical education.

Whether you're waiting for a transplant, considering becoming a living donor, or simply want to better understand how the donation system works, Diane's story is filled with practical advice, hope, and a reminder that persistence, advocacy, and asking the right questions can make all the difference.

Links

Eversight
Diane Hollingsworth

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In this episode of Donor Diaries, we sit down with Dr. Amy Waterman, a national leader in transplant health services research and patient engagement at Houston Methodist, to talk about what we know about living donors, and what we are still learning.

Amy has spent her career studying how to help patients and living donors make informed, confident decisions. We talk about why long term living donor research takes decades, why comparison groups matter when studying donor outcomes, and why understanding donor motivations is so important when designing education and support programs.

We also talk about something that does not get discussed enough: donors are not all the same. Amy shares three common donor motivation profiles and how understanding these differences helps transplant centers better support donors before and after surgery. We also talk about donor identity, why some donors stay deeply connected to the donor community while others quietly move on with their lives, and what both experiences can teach us.

Finally, we talk about what helps right now. Peer mentoring. Reducing financial barriers. Education that respects that different donors are motivated by different things. And the growing role of digital storytelling, which allows people who are considering donation to hear real voices and real stories in a low pressure way.

This is a thoughtful conversation about research, decision making, and the very human reasons people choose to become living donors.

Dr. Amy Waterman is a national leader in transplant health services research and serves as Director of Patient Engagement and Education at Houston Methodist. Her work focuses on improving access to transplant, supporting informed decision making, and developing education and engagement tools for transplant patients and living donors. She has led numerous research initiatives, including digital storytelling and patient education programs, and has received nearly $30 million in federal grant funding. Dr. Waterman has authored more than 125 peer reviewed publications and has been recognized by the American Society of Transplantation as a Clinician of Distinction.

Links

The Waterman Lab website
Explore Transplant
Living Donor Collective
Livingdonorstories.org

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GiftWorks Website
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