At Kristen’s Kidney, our mission is to provide hope, support and advocacy for those waiting on life-saving organ transplants.

We are dedicated to raising awareness about the critical need for organ donations, empowering patients and their families through education and resources and fostering a compassionate community that champions organ donor registration.

Kristen Herman is an Army veteran who dedicated over a decade of service to her country, completing multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After transitioning from military life, Kristen became a nurse, further committing herself to the well-being of others. In October 2022, after the birth of her baby boy, she faced a life-threatening battle with sepsis, which led to the loss of both of her kidneys.

Despite this hardship, Kristen's resilience never wavered. She spent a year on dialysis before receiving a life-saving kidney transplant in December 2023. Now, Kristen is passionate about advocating for those with kidney failure, spreading awareness about the importance of organ donation, and offering support to others facing similar challenges.

Our story

Did you know?

As of March 29, 2024, there are over 103,000 people on the national transplant waiting list in the United States - sadly, many never get the call. Some of the biggest problems for those waiting for transplants include:

Organ Shortage

The demand for organ transplants is much higher than the supply, which leads to rationing. In the US, about 17 people die every day because there aren't enough organs for everyone who needs one.

System Performance

The performance of the organ transplant system varies across the US, and is not always predictable or consistent.

Organ Quality

Some donated organs are not considered suitable for transplantation because they come from older donors with more comorbidities or other diseases. Using these "marginal" organs could increase the risk of health problems after the transplant.

Inequity

There are inequities in access to the organ transplant waiting list and eventual transplantation.

Organ Underuse

Many donated organs are not accepted by transplant centers, even though they could potentially save lives.

Key Insights

Our Goals

At Kristen’s Kidney, we have three main goals: 

  1. Drive awareness around the importance of organ donation 

  2. Support those waiting for life-saving transplants

  3. Call for policy changes that will make material differences to today’s donor system 

With our goals at our forefront, we have identified a few initiatives (with micro & macro levels of impact) that could help move the needle for our cause.

  • Speaking Engagements

    To help drive awareness of the importance of organ donation, we are working with local schools & churches to bring Kristen in to tell her story. While it’s uncomfortable to think about organ donation when sitting in driver’s ed class, the reality is that it could save lives. Additionally, not all organ donation needs to come from deceased donors and being more vocal about this can help to debunk current myths / beliefs that may prohibit people from exploring donation. 

  • Deers for Dialysis

    Venison is a good source of protein, which is important for dialysis patients given that the body loses protein during dialysis treatment; consuming protein helps replace lost protein, promotes healing, and helps cells, organs, and muscles function properly. With both Kristen & Michael being avid hunters, they are engaging the sportsmen community to donate a portion of their game meat to help those in need on dialysis. We plan to partner with local food pantries that are FDA certified to help allocate the meat to this specific cohort. Not only will this help dialysis patients physically, but it will also help to lighten financial burdens for those in need for food.

    If you're a hunter who is open to donating venison, find a dialysis center near you to help those in need.

  • Reformatory Rehabilitation

    We currently have an untapped potential in the U.S. to engage eligible prisoners who may want to be a living donor. This has historically not been a possibility due to the lack of post-op health care that would be needed. This is a huge missed opportunity. Many prisoners may want to give back as a form of atonement or rehabilitation during their sentence - what better way than by saving someone’s life through organ donation? By bridging the penal system and the renal system together, we can start to close the delta of those waiting for an organ & organs available.  

    We are currently consulting with local NJ politicians and state representatives to understand ways we may be able to bring this to reality. 

Meet the Team

  • Kristen Herman

    FOUNDER

    The recipient of a life-saving (and life-changing) kidney transplant.

  • Michael Herman

    FOUNDER

    Kristen’s husband; a passionate advocate for his wife and others on the transplant list.

  • Jamie Misko

    FOUNDER

    Michael’s sister; a champion and proponent of the cause. 

Get in touch.

Looking to get involved in our mission? Are you waiting for a donation and need support or advice? Perhaps you’d like to explore being a living donor? No matter what the case, please feel free to reach out.