Chadwick Noel-Kidney Recipient

Hello, my name is William Chadwick Noel. I am 31 years old and from Harrodsburg. I have a story to tell.

On a bitterly cold day in December 1983, my mother, Marsha B. Noel went into premature labor and was rushed to a local hospital. Her due date wasn’t until February 14th though. After 24 hours, she was sent on to the University of Kentucky Medical Center. After I was born, the N.I.C.U. doctors realized my lungs weren’t functioning properly and that I had only one kidney which wasn’t fully developed. I was put on peritoneal dialysis and being less than 5 days old, I was the youngest U.K. renal patient ever to go on dialysis.

I received an infant kidney from New York when I was 18 months old and at that time I weighed only 13 pounds. After lasting a couple of years, my transplanted kidney function deteriorated and I received my second transplant from my dad, Mark B. Noel. That transplant lasted a wonderful 18 years but while I was attending Eastern Kentucky University, I was told I was in need of a another transplant. This time my mother was the donor. I set out one semester to recuperate from the transplant, returned to E.K.U. and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Because I am hearing impaired but I do have my speech, graduating from college took longer than normal. A year after finishing college, I was in a car accident and have totally recuperated from a traumatic brain injury. Fortunately my kidney function was not affected. I am very blessed to have lived this long! The good Lord has a reason for me to be here! There have been so many lives touched by those who have registered as organ donors through the Trust for Life.Thank you for making a difference in so many lives.