Ep 27: From a Chamber Connection to Kidney Cousins: The Life-Changing Story of Debbie Lundberg and Debra Palmer
When author, motivational speaker, and performance couch Debbie Lundberg met long-time entrepreneur Debra Palmer at the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, little did they know that it would change both of their lives. In this podcast, Debbie and Debra, who call themselves “the Debs,” share their incredible story with Sarina Fazan – starting with a social media post and leading to the transplant surgery that made them the “Kidney Cousins.”
Debra, who is the owner of Palmer Home & Business Inventory Professionals, has been living with chronic kidney disease for more than 25 years. At the onset of her symptoms, which included extreme fatigue, she searched everywhere for answers. “I finally met a doctor, an older doctor who is no longer with us, and he recognized the symptoms right away and knew what testing to start and started testing for renal failure. So, what was happening to me was that my kidneys were failing,” Debra explains.
She started on kidney dialysis, but, after six months, her kidney function improved enough to end treatment. While her kidney function was still diminished, she was stable enough to avoid needing a transplant. However, that changed in the beginning of 2019. Debra says, “My doctor had recommended that I get on the kidney transplant list before it becomes too bad, and in 2019 I went through the process to get on the list to receive a kidney transplant, as I continued to diminish per se and wait.”
And that’s when Debra shared her story on social media and Debbie saw the post. The two had been professional acquaintances for years through both the Tampa Bay and South Tampa Chambers of Commerce but did not have a close friendship. “I read it and I really was not only touched; it touched my heart. I was just so impressed that I’d seen Debra for four years at that point and had no idea that she had ever suffered because her outlook wasn’t that way, her attitude wasn’t that way. And, it’s not to say that people who have a challenge can’t share it, but she certainly overcame it when she was in front of people and had been a great contributor to the community,” Debbie expresses.
Debbie wondered if there was something that she could do to help but didn’t know how to approach Debra. In February 2020, she invited Debra to lunch, hoping to get to know each other better and to find the opportunity to ask.
After they discussed Debra’s condition at the lunch, Debbie was moved to do more. She decided to have a blood test to see if she had the same blood type and may be potential kidney match – and she was! And, so they embarked upon the extensive process of testing to see if Debbie could, in fact, become a kidney donor.
Debbie says, “I felt the warmth right away, and I didn’t quite realize the gravity of the reason. Since then, Debra’s shed a lot of light on things for me. I didn’t know that it takes typically about four years for somebody on the transplant list to get a transplant from a donor and that there are four times more people who need kidneys than there are donors. So, I didn’t realize I was stepping into this world where I was around a lot more people who required a kidney and had renal failure than there were people testing to give a kidney.”
In the past, other friends and associates had reached out to the Kidney Transplant Center on Debra’s behalf, but there was never a match. “But Debbie is a perfect match, in every way,” Debra exclaims. “I am just fortunate that someone so healthy is willing to help me in this way.”
After completing all of the testing, the Debs were then faced with the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, they have only seen each other in person once since their luncheon. The kidney transplant surgery was finally scheduled for August 6, 2020.
And, it all comes back to their chamber connection and a bit of chance. Debra says, “I kind of have a weird sense of humor but I really love my chamber of commerce. I don’t know how many people have actually received a kidney donation from one of their chamber contacts. But really, honestly about it, I’ve always had a positive attitude. I think that’s what helped me 25 years ago get off of dialysis and live the past 25 years that I have. And I have a positive attitude, outlook for what the future looks like for both of us.”
Debra continues, “Not everyone can be a live donor like Debbie Lundberg. It obviously takes a special person to what to do something like that. But everybody can register to be an organ donor at the end of their life.”
Debbie agrees, “If we just give. We think if giving of time, we think if giving of money, but what if you give something of your body and make a difference, and it doesn’t really set you back much.”
Register to become an organ donor by visiting DonateLifeFlorida.org.
Learn more about the Kidney Transplant Center at www.TGH.org/services/transplant/kidney-transplant.
Follow Debra Palmer on Facebook at Facebook.com/DebrasKidneyTransplantJourney and learn more about her business at PalmerInventoryPros.com. Connect with Debbie Lundberg at DebbieLundberg.com.