Time Travel and the Art of Healing
Do words have the power to heal across space and time? Take it from a kidney donor, who received a letter from a stranger that bridged a path to her own recovery.
Kelley Downey shares her revelation and deeply personal lesson in humanity with her daughter, Ali, in her Letters from Humanity story. I'm honored to include Kelley's story, along with so many others, in support of our campaign.
In December 2020, Kelley donated a kidney to a stranger. She did it anonymously, wanting nothing in return. About a year later, when Kelley was fully recovered and her "remaining kidney was magically and efficiently doing the work of two," her transplant coordinator reached out. A letter had arrived for Kelley, if she wished to receive it. The letter was from the kidney recipient.
"That letter now lives in a place of honor," says Kelley. "When I feel small or sad, I can read it and feel immense joy. It reminds me that something once inside my body is now part of someone else’s story."
Kelley asked Ali to read the letter aloud for her Letters from Humanity video (above), joking that donating her kidney was less scary than making a video of herself. I love that she brought in Ali's voice, because it deepens the mother-daughter connections on both sides of the letter. Barbara, the letter writer and kidney recipient, described a revelation about something her own mother once wrote to her years ago - that sometimes, there are gifts so great that words seem inadequate to express their magnitude, like the gift of life. A letter, however, can do far more.
"Sharing this letter story together allowed my daughter and I to talk about generosity, the quiet joy that comes from helping a stranger, and the power of words to travel across space and time," says Kelley.
As I took in Kelley's story, I wondered what prompted her to become an organ donor. It's one thing to check a box on your driver's license application. It's another to go through with it.
"My decision to donate a kidney was shaped by something deeply personal." Kelley's father had acute myeloid leukemia. After trying chemotherapy, his doctor suggested a bone marrow transplant. "My dad would not consider it. He refused because he did not want to burden anyone with the request or discomfort, even though there would have been a line out the door to support him." Kelley carried deep sadness after her parents passed within a few years of each other.
She then learned about the kidney transplant program at UNC Hospitals and the long waitlist of recipients. Kelley took a profound step forward and chose to donate her kidney anonymously. "I didn't want anyone to feel like they owed me anything. I simply wanted to remove the burden of asking."
Reflecting on the experience of donating a kidney, Kelley added, "I would do it again, but I cannot."
Letters from Humanity is a new, ongoing Dearist campaign to shine a light on the 1:1 human connections that letters foster. Support our work of bringing letter writing to a new generation of kids through our GoFundMe.
Do you have a story about a meaningful letter? I'd love to hear it!
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