My Kidney Donation Story: Megan Bosack

I was diagnosed with Nutcracker Syndrome in 2022 as well as two other vascular compressions. The Nutcracker Syndrome wasn’t really bothering me until I had surgery for one of my other compressions in September 2023. After that, it really started to bother me.

From there, it was just a matter of trying to find someone who would treat my Nutcracker Syndrome, which was very difficult because there are not a lot of people who treat it. That process was very hard, but I eventually found Dr. Chavin at Temple Health in September 2024. We started the process to donate from there.

I knew going into the appointment that there were three options to treat Nutcracker Syndrome: take out the kidney and just throw it away, do an auto transplant, or donate it. Before going in, I had the idea that I wanted to donate it, but first they needed to see if I was going to be OK with one kidney.

They did all the testing and looked at all the numbers and told me I would be OK with one kidney. That took a pretty long time. I could have just gotten rid of it and that would have been much easier, but I thought, if my kidney is healthy, why not donate it? They found someone for me to donate the kidney to.

I had the surgery on April 7, 2025. I recovered pretty quickly. I was only on pain meds for a day, and at the hospital for three days. I work from home, and went back to work very quickly, which wasn’t recommended, but I felt good enough to work. My job was so understanding of the whole situation. I was back to full-time a week and a half or two weeks after the surgery.

Now that the kidney causing the problem has been removed, I feel really good and I’m pain free, which is amazing. I got to meet the person who received my kidney, which was crazy but super cool. I went in not really knowing what to expect—we knew nothing about each other. She is 17 and I am 21, so we’re not too far apart in age. It’s awesome to think that donating a kidney helped me as well as the recipient.

About the Author

Megan Bosack, 21, is a passionate and driven paralegal living in Rockland County, New York. With a paralegal certificate and a deep love for legal work, she finds joy in helping others, researching, and writing. Outside the office, Megan enjoys traveling, attending concerts, and spending time with her pets. She’s especially close to her younger brother and sister and values family deeply. After facing multiple chronic illnesses, Megan made the life-changing decision to donate a kidney—an act that not only helped her own health but gave someone else a second chance at life.