Running has been a part of Kimberley Hill’s life for as long as she can remember. “I love it; it’s my passion,” she says.
In 2016, Kim was on a 20-mile training run when a car ran a red light, nearly hitting her. Kim jumped out of the way just in time but came crashing down onto her knees. “As a long-distance runner, you learn to push through the pain. So, I continued my run,” she says.
Two years later, Kim was running a 5K when she felt something in her knee pull and start to swell. After an MRI and exploratory surgery, her orthopedic surgeon, Michael Gordon, MD, determined she had a large hole in the cartilage of her kneecap. After eight weeks, Kim was still in pain, and Dr. Gordon determined she would need a tissue transplant to repair her knee.
On January 24, 2019, Kim underwent surgery, during which she received a cartilage transplant. “Recovery was 10 months long. My knee was the size of a bowling ball,” she says. “It took a really long time for me to notice a difference in how my knee felt; I was in tremendous pain for the first month of surgery. I had to learn how to use my knee again.”
During this time, Kim began self-medicating with alcohol to manage the physical and mental pain she experienced. She’s proud to say that in September 2019, she got sober and took her first run post-surgery on November 2, 2019. “After that, I trained myself to be a morning runner,” she says. “I needed something to chase. Now, that is what I live for. It’s a chance for me to be grateful for my donor, for life, for everything, with the sunrise.”
It took Kim some time to reconcile the fact that her second chance at life was because someone else lost theirs. “I know that my donor was 18 years old. I took that to heart,” she says. “In a way, it traumatized me knowing I had somebody so young help me. You’re grieving for somebody you don’t know.”
If Kim could speak to her donor’s family, she would want them to know just how much she appreciates their generosity. “First, I would say thank you for giving me such a precious gift and for giving me my life back,” she says. “Running is what keeps me balanced in life, and it keeps me sober. It’s hard to put into words the gratitude I have for them and the decision they made. I want them to know I’m living my best life and ensuring their gift doesn’t go wasted.”
Now, Kim shares her story in the hope that it might encourage others to join the organ and tissue registry. “I am on the list to be a donor. I have been, even before all of this happened,” she says. “It’s always been something I’ve been very passionate about. It saves lives, but it can change lives, too. It gave me my life back.”
Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the organ transplant waiting list.
Approximately 113,000 men, women, and children are waiting for life-saving organ transplants. One organ donor has the power to save up to eight lives and change the outcomes of someone’s world forever by giving them a second chance. Additionally, tissue donation can save and improve the lives of up to 75 people with their gifts. You can make a huge impact by registering as an organ and tissue donor.
Learn more about organ and tissue donation, or register as a donor at https://donatelifewisconsin.org.