Laurie VanLeuvanee

Two employees from the radiology department at LDS Hospital took team building to a new level. Tonja Stroud, an imaging clerk, literally helped to rebuild Laurie VanLeuvanee, a radiology technician.

When Laurie found out she had polycystic kidney disease more than 15 years ago, a condition that enlarges the kidneys until they fill the abdomen, she wasn't sure how long it would be before she would need dialysis or a kidney transplant. Laurie's mother has had two kidney transplants, and several family members have also been struck with the disease, so it came as no big surprise to be told her kidneys were failing completely.

Laurie wasn't worried though; she had a close friend who had stepped up and offered to donate a kidney. But then the news came that the transplant had been rejected. So December 7, 2002 when Laurie's kidneys were removed, she went on dialysis instead of receiving the life-saving transplant she needed.

About the same time she went on dialysis, Tonja and several co-workers decided it was time to step up and be tested to see if they could offer a donation.

Tonja had only been working as an imaging clerk for two months when she was tested and found to be a match. "When I asked my husband what he thought about me giving a kidney to a friend, he wasnt sure if I was serious or not," Tonja says. "After explaining the situation, he was very supportive. It just seemed like the right thing to do; I had a spare and Laurie needed one." After talking to her family Tonja told Laurie, "Let's do it."

"When I told my family that a friend from work had stepped up to donate a kidney, it was mind-boggling for them," says Laurie. "Something like that just doesn't happen every day. Tonja is your basic, all-around hero and Good Samaritan."

"For me it's a true miracle," Laurie adds. "No amount of words or gestures can communicate the gratitude I feel for Tonja's donation. She is simply saving my life."

Tonja barely mentions the month of work and active life she'll be missing, the time she'll spend in bed, unable to care for her three sons, or the small scars she'll bear as a reminder. Instead she modestly adds: "That's nothing when it's being sacrificed to save a friend's life."

So, on Thursday, March 20, 2003 Tonja and Laurie spent the day together, in the operating room at LDS Hospital, completing the ultimate team building exercise, giving and receiving the gift or organ donation, and the gift of life.