Faces of Compassion: Stephanie Donelan, a living donor supporting living donors

Aug 18 9:00am | Kristin Eggebraaten | @keggebraaten

In January 2024, Stephanie became a non-directed living kidney donor, inspired by an opportunity to help someone in need and her mother’s legacy of generosity and service. Today, she brings that experience to her work as a living kidney donor coordinator at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

What is your role at Mayo Clinic, and where are you based?

I work as a living kidney donor coordinator at Mayo Clinic in Florida. I started at Mayo Clinic in 2021 and have worked in ambulatory abdominal transplant throughout my time here. I previously worked as a post-liver transplant coordinator.

What drew you to a career in transplant?

I was drawn to transplant because of the nurse coordinator role. From my previous experience in the emergency department and at a medical respite for patients experiencing homelessness, I knew I wanted a role that emphasized patient navigation, education and relationship-building.

Once I got here, I was hooked. Transplants offer this miraculous opportunity for a second chapter of life. The providers are knowledgeable, eager to teach and value collaboration. Working in transplant means being part of a team.

Can you share your personal connection to donation and transplantation?

In 2023, while still working in liver transplant, I decided to donate my kidney after hearing from a coworker about someone in need. I went through the evaluation process, was approved in November 2023 and became a non-directed kidney donor in January 2024.

In early 2025, a living donor coordinator position opened, and I was encouraged to apply because of my professional and personal experience.

What led you to become a living kidney donor?

My mom left a legacy of generosity and service to her community. After losing her to early-onset dementia, I had a strong desire to help someone else, and donating a kidney felt like a meaningful way to honor her legacy.

Working in transplant and seeing the need I could fill also gave me clarity about the opportunity I had to help.

How does your experience as a donor influence how you approach your work each day?

Going through the donor evaluation process as a patient — along with being the primary caregiver for someone with a terminal illness — has dramatically influenced how I approach my work.

I say “no” less automatically to patients. I’m more willing to make an extra phone call or send a message to someone in another department. I can also sit with someone’s anger or sadness with more stillness — listening and being present without taking it personally.

Stephanie was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and has worked as a nurse since 2016. Outside of work, she stays grounded through an incredible support system that includes her partner, Kelly, her three sisters and close friends. She also enjoys running, gardening, walking, puzzles, spending time outside and finding time to “play and be silly.”

About Faces of Compassion

Faces of Compassion is a monthly series highlighting members of the Mayo Clinic Transplant community who are personally connected to organ, eye and tissue donation or transplantation. Through their stories, we honor the compassion and lived experience that inform the care our transplant teams provide every day.

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