The Journey to Find a Life-Saving Kidney
This is the story of hope, love, and the incredible power of human kindness. A story that began with a desperate need and ended with a miracle.
Meet Adam
Adam Lazenby is a 43-year-old craftsman from Tennessee. He's a quiet, hardworking man who spent his career remodeling homes and building things with his hands.
He's also a devoted husband to Shannon, a loving dog dad to Hazel, and someone who finds peace in fishing and being outdoors.
But Adam's life changed dramatically when his kidney began to fail. The kidney that had kept him alive for over 38 years—donated by his own mother, Joyce Lazenby, when he was just 4 years old.
7 Hours of Dialysis Every Single Day
When Adam's transplanted kidney began failing, his life became tethered to a dialysis machine. Every day, for 7 hours, he was connected to a machine that did what his kidneys could not.
For nearly 15 months, this was Adam's reality. Unable to get a full night's sleep. Uncertain whether he would die while waiting for a donor. His world shrunk to the confines of life with a tube in his stomach, additional dietary restrictions, and his dialysis schedule.
Without a new kidney, Adam would remain on dialysis indefinitely—or worse.
The Search for a Donor
People waiting for a kidney in the US
Years average wait time
People die each day waiting
The odds were stacked against Adam. But Shannon refused to give up. She started a campaign to find Adam a living donor—someone willing to give the gift of life.
Why Living Donation Matters
Living kidney donation offers significant advantages over deceased donation.
Longer Lasting
Kidneys from living donors typically last 15-20 years, compared to 10-15 years from deceased donors.
Lower Rejection
Living donor kidneys have significantly lower rejection rates and better long-term outcomes.
Scheduled Surgery
Living donation allows for planned surgery when both donor and recipient are in optimal health.
Adam & Shannon on the Radio Together
Together they share more about their family, this journey, and about finding a donor.
Adam & Shannon Radio Interview
A heartfelt 15-minutes about Adam's journey, their love, and their hope for the future.
"Adam is a man of few words, but the radio host encourages him to share how he feels, and I'm so glad that everyone else gets to hear it from him. I see every day how much he's fighting and how much he wants to live. We are looking for that one angel to save his life. We're both immensely grateful to everyone who shares his story."
Ways to Support
While Adam has received his transplant, there are still ways to help our family and others in need.
Help With Recovery Expenses
Medical bills and recovery costs continue. Any contribution helps.
Ways to Support Others in Their Transplant Journey
- Share, share, share the story of someone who needs a transplant often and add your own words to the posts.
- •Change your cover photo to reflect their need.
- ���If you are a business, post their need prominently where customers can scan a code to get more information.
- •Help someone who needs a kidney by establishing a website for them (Like Tristen Jackson and I did for saveadam.com).
- •Contact Addie's Tees to do a T-shirt fundraiser for that person.
- •Make up flyers or business cards and pass them out.
- •Make their need known at church or in your friend or service groups.
- •Display car magnets.
- •Help them financially to get the word out or cover loss of income or medical expenses.
Adam's Moments
