April is recognized as National Donate Life Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation. For one couple, the living kidney donor program provided a life-saving solution.Debbie Coleman was d iagnosed with stage five kidney failure in September 2023, the most severe form of the disease."I'm blessed, obviously, to have my golden years," Debbie said.Her husband, Tom, was not a compatible donor. Together, the couple participated in a paired exchange program through the National Kidney Registry. This meant Tom donated a kidney to a stranger so his wife could receive a compatible match in return."My husband was my hero," Debbie said.Todd Maynard with the UK Transplant Center said most people are waiting on a deceased donor, but the living kidney donor program fast-tracked the couple's process."There's over 80,000 people in America waiting for a kidney transplant right now. At UK we have more than 500 people waiting," Maynard said.The program, Maynard said, takes the waiting period down from years to just months for some."I donated on October 9th of 2024, and it was less than nine months when she got the call to be transplanted," Tom Coleman said.The couple was recently honored during the Wildcat Community Spotlight at the University of Kentucky's softball stadium, where Debbie Coleman threw out the first pitch. They are urging people to participate in the paired exchange program or become a deceased donor to help save lives. ...read more read less