Nick Kolor, 25, a Florida Keys instructor who teaches people how to breathe underwater, made a bigger leap off the diving board: he donated one of his kidneys to a stranger. Kolor says he acted simply because someone else needed it, explaining that it was impossible to justify not giving — he didn’t need the kidney, someone else did — and he hoped his choice would inspire others.
The kidney went to nine-year-old Aaron, who had spent three years on a transplant waiting list. Doctors at Memorial Regional called Kolor truly altruistic, noting he gave without expecting anything in return. After the operation the two met briefly, exchanging smiles and a thumbs-up; Aaron’s family said he was recovering well and that they planned another reunion soon.
Kolor has started the Spare Parts Project to encourage more people to consider living donation. He urged others to ‘donate life, give a piece of yourself,’ highlighting how a single donor can change someone’s future.
Transplant surgeons say altruistic donors resonate with both clinicians and patients. Kolor’s decision underscores the ongoing need for more donors and the life-saving potential of living donation, especially for children who have waited years for a transplant.