 This Christmas, Elkhorn City resident Valena Stacey is celebrating the one year anniversary of her kidney transplant. But her amazing story actually began 20 years ago when she offered someone one of her own kidneys. And she was a really good friend of mine and I told her, I said I would give you a kidney if I can. So I went and started getting tested to give her a kidney or see if I could, even a rematch or whatever. But she didn't get the answer she was hoping for. I was tested and then they found out there was some issue with my kidney going on. A progressive disease where her own kidneys were slowly dying and it eventually began taking its toll on her entire body. I worked on row construction. I had to stand on my feet a lot and sometimes I'd have to cut the sides of my boots even to stand to work because my feet was so big. Nobody has no clue what pain I was in. I mean it was pain every day but I didn't give up. I'm not a quitter. Five years ago, Valena received the news that she had to have dialysis. Her kidneys had almost stopped working. But doctors said she would have to lose weight, more than 100 pounds, before she could be put on a transplant list. It's the hardest thing you'll ever do is go from, you know, 300 and some pound and lose half your body weight. But all her hard work paid off December 23rd, 2017 when her phone rang at 6 o'clock in the morning. And I got up and answered it. Jewish hospital, you know, often said we're offering you a kidney today. We have a kidney for you. And right before they took her into surgery, Valena found out where her new kidneys had come from. It's a small child. And at that point in time it just broke my heart. You know, because I have children and I can't imagine what the parents feel like. You know, I can't imagine how they even, you know, how they made that decision. It just broke my heart and it does every day. I think about it every day about that family. Fast forward one year. Valena continues to exercise. She completed her first semester of college with straight A's and she is more than ready for Christmas. Usually I never put my tree up before Thanksgiving. I'm like, I don't feel like putting that tree up, you know, but this year I had it up before Thanksgiving. I was just so ready for Christmas for the holiday. So excited to spend it with my family because last year I was in hospital all through Christmas and New Year's. This Christmas, Valena Stacey's wish is that other people consider organ donation. Right now, you know, you want to help people or do good for people. Well, this was a great way to help people. I mean, this is the most, you can give them life. What better gift could you give anybody for Christmas than give them a life? Somebody gave me a life last Christmas and I thank God for it every day. And, you know, that is the greatest gift you could give anyone is the life. A single organ donor can save up to eight people. In Pikeville, I'm Shannon Deskins, EKB News.