Eileen and her mom now have an even closer bond

Julia ( center ) with her sister and sisters-in-law

Julia with some of her

12 grandchildren

“ Yes , I ’ m sure ,” Eileen assured him .

I don ’ t believe this , Julia thought , her heart flooding with love and gratitude .

Gift of love

Three months later , mother and daughter underwent the surgery . The whole family rejoiced when the transplant was a success . Eileen took a few months off from her job as an office manager to recover , but her liver regenerated , and her life went back to normal . Julia was doing well too .

Then , one day in 2023 , at a routine checkup , the nurse asked Julia if she had a kidney doctor . It seemed unbelievable after all she had been through , but tests showed that Julia ’ s kidneys were now failing , a complication , she learned , that can occur in people with advanced liver disease . Julia was told she needed a kidney transplant ASAP .

Breaking the news to her family was as hard as hearing it herself . There were lots of tears . But then , without hesitation , Eileen told her mom , “ I ’ m going to give you one of my kidneys .”

Amazed and grateful

“ No way !” Julia said . “ You have already done this for me before .”

“ Mom is the glue that holds everybody together . We ’ d be a wreck without her .”

Doctors , too , were hesitant . Living donors are rare enough , but Eileen would be only the 14th person in the U . S . to be a dual donor to the same recipient on different dates , and the first at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore .

But as her beloved mother deteriorated , Eileen pressed the doctors . I can ’ t let Mom die . I just can ’ t lose her yet . Seeing her determination , the transplant director discussed the situation with the hospital ’ s ethics committee , and given Eileen ’ s stellar health record , the doctors decided to move forward with the second transplant . Still , even though she had proved to be a match for a liver , Eileen needed to undergo more tests , which confirmed she would again be a good donor . The transplant was scheduled for December 19 , 2023 .

Lowers blood pressure ! Helping someone in need or giving generously boosts oxytocin in the brain , which releases nitric oxide , a chemical that improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure . Research shows that healthy levels of nitric oxide lower the chances of heart attack and stroke .

Boosts brainpower !

Studies show that volunteering to help others improves the hippocampus — the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory , says Michelle Carlson , a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health . The hippocampus naturally shrinks as we age , but kindness delays that process .

Just before she was wheeled off to the OR from the prep room , Eileen grabbed her mother ’ s hands , and they told each other , “ I love you .”

The operation was a success . Following the procedure , Julia ’ s kidney function recovered immediately , the doctor told the family . And she and Eileen both went home in just a couple of days .

Mother and daughter always had a close relationship , but this bonding experience brought them even closer .

Today , Julia , 72 , feels grateful to be alive , and she looks forward to watching all her grandkids grow up , graduate and live their own lives . “ I ’ m not leaving this place until I have a great-grandchild !” she says , her voice filled with determination . Her family is glad to hear that . “ She ’ s the glue that holds everybody together ,” Eileen , 39 , says . “ We would be a wreck without her .”

— Kellie B . Gormly

Eliminates stress !

Psychologist Steven M . Sultanoff , Ph . D ., explains that the good feeling that comes from doing even small acts of kindness raises dopamine levels and slashes the production of the stress hormone cortisol .

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