On Episode 129 of Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast, we meet Michael Ungar, a living kidney donor whose journey toward donation began in a place he never expected.

As a rabbi, Michael was simply doing his job while visiting and supporting people at a local hospital. But those experiences planted a spark—one that continued to grow until, in 2021, Michael found himself becoming a living kidney donor.

Michael takes us through his journey from beginning to end: what inspired him to consider living donation, the process of becoming a donor, the surgery itself, his recovery, and what life has been like since giving someone else the gift of a healthier life.

Michael says it can be difficult to hear himself called a hero.

But those of us in the transplant community understand just how extraordinary living donors truly are. They willingly undergo surgery and recovery so another person can have a second chance at life.

Hear Michael Ungar’s inspiring story and discover how one small spark of compassion eventually became the Gift of Life.

In this episode:

● How Michael’s work as a rabbi introduced him to the transplant world

● The moment living kidney donation became personal

● His decision to become a donor in 2021

● Preparing for living-donor surgery

● Michael’s recovery and life after donation

● Why he has a hard time considering himself a hero

● The incredible impact living donors have on recipients, families, and the transplant community

Gift of Life – The Organ Transplant Podcast shares the stories of transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, caregivers, and others whose lives have been touched by organ donation.

Episode 129 — Michael Ungar: Living Kidney Donor

Please listen, subscribe, and share Michael’s story. One story can educate someone about living donation—and perhaps inspire the next gift of life.