Deciding to donate a kidney wasn't a hard decision for one Green River woman.
When Rachelle Morris found out her sister's friend Jesse Laughter may need a kidney transplant, she immediately said she would be willing to get tested and see if she was a match.
She knew she might not match, but she just felt the need to help.
Morris recalled telling his family, "If and when he gets to the point he needs a kidney, let me know and I'll get tested for him."
Time passed and Morris knew Laughter was on dialysis. Finally, it came to the point where Laughter was approved for the transplant and so Morris did as she promised: she signed up to get tested to see if she was a match. She went to the website http://www.donatelife.net and started the process.
"There's a lot," she said.
Morris saw a nutritionist, had her blood drawn numerous times and had to collect urine for 24 hours. She also needed an echocardiogram and CT scans completed. Those on the donation team also reviewed her entire medical history, from medications she had taken to surgeries or other health-related problems she may have encountered over the years.
"They are basically looking for any reason to kick you out and not be a good candidate," Morris said.
In the past, just about anyone could be a donor, however, many donors were having complications after the surgery and so they have more requirements in place to make sure both the donor and the one accepting the transplant will make it through the process without complications.
Morris said she has a team of specialists for her, while Laughter has his own.
"They do a really good job of looking out for your interests as well as his," Morris said.
Even though Morris was going through the process of checking to see if she was a match, she didn't know if she would be with so many factors to consider.
"I was really trying not to get Jesse's hopes up," Morris said.
After all of the testing, Morris received a call. The specialists on the line couldn't believe that the first person tested for Laughter's kidney transplant was a match. Morris was thrilled. She called and told Laughter the news and they set up a date, Sept. 19, for the kidney transplant.
About one week later, Morris received another phone call from the specialists. This time, they wanted to present Morris "with an opportunity." Morris said she thought it was odd how they presented the idea as an opportunity. They told her there was a son and his mother in the transplant program. The mother needed a kidney, but the son wasn't a match, however she was. They explained to her that the son has offered to donate his kidney to someone in exchange for a kidney for his mother and the son was a better match for Laughter.
Morris said the son is a better match for Laughter because he's around the same age, size, blood type and other areas matched up better. As for the mother, Morris was a match, which is something she hasn't had.
"I'm it for her at this point," Morris said. "How do you say 'no.'"
Morris called Laughter to find out what he thought. They both agreed to participate in the kidney chain donation.
Why?
Morris is often asked why she's donating a kidney. When she was growing up she had a cousin who needed a kidney and the had to find a match.
"It was in my head that it could be OK to do that," Morris said.
Morris also looks at it in a way most won't understand. Morris and her husband adopted a child. Morris said if someone can give her a whole person to love and call her child, than a body part isn't that big of a deal.
"What's a kidney compared to that," Morris said.
As for being told "she amazing" and how great it is for her to do something like this, she doesn't think that way either.
"I would hope if it was my brother or me, you'd just do it," she said.
Morris isn't nervous about the procedure, which is scheduled to take place for her on Sept. 20 and Laughter Sept. 19.
"I have really been at peace the whole time," Morris said.
"I really feel that God has it under control. It's in his control. He's for it and it's going to be fine."
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