My Kidney Donation Story: Vernon Peeler
My donation story started in 2023. Someone I knew was having kidney issues and needed a transplant, so I decided to get tested as a donor. Unfortunately, I got turned down because I was way overweight and my blood pressure was too high.
I knew I was overweight. I traveled a lot for my job and ate a lot of fast food, and I had let myself go. I didn’t know about my high blood pressure, though. I’m one of those people who doesn’t go to the doctor unless I’m knocking on heaven’s door. They had me monitor my blood pressure for a month, and that’s the first time I learned I had high blood pressure.
Then in 2024, I decided to retire, and I thought again about the possibility of becoming a living donor. I read up on it, and I found out that I could easily live with one kidney. I also spoke to a couple of mentors before donating, who convinced me that donation was safe and recovery was reasonable.
In October, I was approved to donate a kidney. It was too late to donate to the person I knew, but I figured I’d gone that far—let’s do it.
Vernon Peeler
That gave me the incentive to get back into shape, so I hit the gym. I hired myself a coach and lost about 50 pounds. In October, I was approved to donate a kidney. It was too late to donate to the person I knew, but I figured I’d gone that far—let’s do it.
I donated my kidney on April 15, 2025, at Atrium Baptist Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. My kidney went to somebody in Colorado. I don’t know anything about the person, but I heard the transplant was successful.
My recovery was much better than I anticipated. I was not supposed to drive for six weeks, but two weeks after my surgery I drove back to the center for my two-week checkup. My surgeon wasn’t too happy with me, but I didn’t want to ask someone to take time off work to drive me up there. I’m retired now, so I have all the time in the world. The drive was a little uncomfortable, but it wasn’t terrible. Within four weeks I was back to doing everything I had done before my surgery.
Donating a kidney is such a great thing, because you’re helping someone who might not survive. For me, it really didn’t cost me anything other than a little time hanging around the house. I am now 100% and totally back to normal, and my blood pressure is perfect. Donating a kidney allowed me to improve my own health and touch someone else in the process.
About the Author
Vernon Peeler was born in Chicago and grew up in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, one of six children raised by a widowed mother. His father died at 34 from a heart attack. All other members of his family also passed away at an early age—he is now the only one remaining out of eight.
Vernon began donating blood at Western Kentucky Blood Center at 19 and continues to donate platelets and plasma through the Red Cross in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he now lives.
He worked for International Paper for 20 years, traveling to different company locations to work on various projects. After leaving IP, he worked for a few startup companies and has now retired to work on himself and become a living kidney donor.
Vern considers himself blessed with good health and a comfortable life, and being able to pass some of that on to someone in real need just makes it all so much better.