TULSA, Okla — A new documentary is raising awareness and hoping to inspire others to donate a kidney.
It’s a life-saving donation, and hundreds of people in Oklahoma need it.
“It wasn’t even something I questioned,” said Brandi Crockett, a woman who donated a kidney to her husband. “I knew immediately once he needed it, I would do it.”
Inside Circle Cinema, Brandi Crockett said she’s grateful she was able to give her husband a life-saving gift. It’s been about three months since she donated her kidney to him.
“It’s an extraordinary thing for somebody to do to donate an organ to help you have a new outlook on life,” said Roger Crockett.
Roger Crockett was born with a blockage that eventually caused kidney damage. In 2008, he received his first transplant. In 2023, he went through the process again.
“The transplant process is a marathon; it’s not a sprint,” said Crockett. "You have to be patient and work with your team.”
Donors and recipients, like Brandi and Roger, will fill Circle Cinema this week as a new documentary showcases the donation process. Confessions of a Good Samaritan highlights one woman’s journey, but it’s an awareness that’s needed across the country and especially here in Oklahoma.
“It’s truly a privilege and a pleasure to guide a donor through this process, witness the outcome of the transplant, and be a part of that journey,” said Holly Wall, the living donor coordinator at Ascension St. John Transplant Center.
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She guides living donors through the process of being evaluated for kidney donations, the logistics of surgery and recovery and two years of follow-up after the donation.
How to donate a kidney:
Wall explained the step-by-step process of kidney donation.
It starts with an application and quick assessment to ensure nothing in a person’s medical history rules them out.
Then, they’ll do preliminary testing, which can be done anywhere in the country. This allows the medical team to assess the potential donor’s overall health, confirm their blood type is compatible with the recipient, and check kidney function.
Then, they’ll do a full evaluation, which involves more blood work, CAT scans, chest X-rays, and EKGs.
The potential donor will also receive a medical assessment, surgical assessment, psychosocial assessment, and nutritional assessment, and potentially, more testing may be warranted beyond that.
There are 213 on the Ascension waitlist for kidneys. Across Oklahoma, more than 580 people are waiting for kidneys.
“It’s an extraordinary thing for someone to do to help someone,” said Roger Crockett.
The hospital system said there is an organ shortage, and kidneys are the largest need. They’re hopeful the documentary will help encourage others to take the first step in the process.
“It’s the best of humanity,” said Wall. “It’s the best of us.”
Circle Cinema is hosting a private screening of the film on Wednesday. A free public showing will take place on Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m.
For more information on the kidney waitlist, click here.
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