#47. Are you my kidney recipient? March 2012

There was a story I used to read my kids about a little robin that is looking for its mother.  He goes from animal to animal in his neighbourhood saying, “Are you my mother? are you my mother?” 

I’ve been thinking lately about the person who is going to receive my kidney.  I won’t know who it is, but someone, likely someone in this area, will be walking around with my kidney in them.

Maybe I will stand next to them in line at the grocery store.  Maybe they will be driving the car that cuts me off on the highway.  Maybe they are the person walking down the street ahead of me.  Or maybe they will be sitting next to me in the movie theatre.  They will be there, somewhere, a piece of me in them.  I won’t know where I am. 

Theoretically, we should treat everyone with kindness and respect.  But I think I would inherently be a bit more kind or more respectful to someone who was carrying one of my organs.  I would certainly be more interested in their welfare. 

How will being a donor change how I look at strangers?