Utah Pioneers of Living Kidney Donation Share the Same Kidney for 50 years

This summer we received a call from a kind woman named Mary Potter.  She had an incredible story to tell us about her brothers Stan and Orson Kimball.  She called to invite the National Kidney Foundation of Utah & Idaho to come have some cake with her extended family.  Mary informed us that Stan (turning 64) and his older brother Orson were going to be together to celebrate together for the first time in decades.  Not only was Stan turning 64 on June 4th, 2024, but the family was gathering to celebrate the kidney that Orson had donated and successfully shared with his little brother Stan on June 10, 1974. Orson’s (now 71 year old) kidney has given his brother Stan an extra 50 years of a life well lived. This story came as a shock to us (because we have never met the Kimballs). But Orson’s living kidney donation may well be one of Utah’s very first. In fact theirs may be the nation’s oldest, most successful kidney transplant survival story ever. This came as a huge and happy surprise not only to the NKF of Utah & Idaho, but also our partners at Donor Connect.  We were thrilled to meet Stan and Orson Kimball, as well as their families. But prior to this June, we had no idea that 2 unassuming, good-old-boy Utah residents may very well, be quietly be making a world record in our own backyard.

The story goes, that in 1974, at ages 13 and 20, Stan Kimball received a life-saving kidney donation from his older brother, Orson at the University of Utah. This act marked a pioneering moment in medical history. It was historic because living kidney donation was still experimental and risky at the time. Despite the lack of advanced treatments and uncertainties about long-term kidney health for donors, Orson selflessly gave his kidney to save his little brother Stan, from kidney failure. Theirs, is a testament to the power of family love and sacrifice. As they approach the 50th anniversary of this momentous event on June 10th, 2024; Stan (of Salt Lake City, Utah) and Orson (from Fountain Green, Utah) they celebrate five decades of sharing the same kidney. Their journey embodies hope and resilience, inspiring countless others who face similar challenges with kidney diseases.  On this special occasion, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for Stan’s well-lived years, and to Orson for his bravery, selflessness, and pioneering spirit. Happy birthday, Stan, and thank you, Orson, for being beacons of hope for generations to come.