Meet Maggie
Life Expanded Through the Gift of Living Organ Donation
by Crystal Brasiola Waters
The effects of organ transplantation weren’t new to Maggie Pinkous. Her father-in-law had received the precious gift of a heart transplant, so she had already witnessed the miracle of organ donation from the other side — the receiving side.
In early 2023, Maggie’s attention was piqued by a single phrase: “Aunt Gigi needs a liver transplant.”
Aunt Gigi — her mother’s sister — at 73 years young, was lively despite a few prior health struggles. Diagnosed with severe liver disease, she now needed a transplant. She and her husband, Uncle John — high school sweethearts — had built a beautiful life together with 10 children and more than 20 grandchildren. Without a transplant, time was uncertain.
Maggie didn’t hesitate. “Gigi, you can have mine,” she said immediately.
It wasn’t a dramatic declaration. It came out calm and steady — like something already decided in her spirit before she spoke it aloud.
Her aunt refused just as quickly. “No donations from family,” Gigi insisted. She didn’t want the burden, the risk, or the guilt if anything went wrong. So, Maggie waited… but she didn’t stop watching.
Months later, the family received difficult news: Maggie’s cousin — an alternative donor — wasn’t a match. Maggie again spoke up: “Let me get tested. I want to help.”
This time, her aunt obliged.
Maggie submitted a living donor application and affectionately began calling herself “a pest to the hospital.” She followed up constantly, checked schedules, asked questions, and pushed paperwork — not out of anxiety, but purpose.
Then came the anxiously awaited call: She was a perfect match for Aunt Gigi.
The testing process moved quickly — faster than even the transplant team expected: bloodwork, imaging, psychological evaluations, surgical clearances.
“They told me things were moving so fast,” Maggie recalled. “But to me, it didn’t feel fast. It felt aligned.”
She describes the decision as deeply spiritual: “It was the most spiritual feeling. There was no gray… it was something I knew I had to do.”
Six months earlier, Maggie had begun a health journey — improving her diet, exercising, and strengthening her body. At the time, even after losing a substantial amount of weight, she believed it was to improve her own quality of life. Looking back, she sees it differently.
“Divinely orchestrated,” she said — preparation she didn’t fully understand until the moment arrived.
Through it all, one song stayed on repeat in her mind: “I’m Not Worried” by OneRepublic.
The transplant team reminded her that up until anesthesia began, she could still say no.
“My decision never wavered,” Maggie said. “This was truly something I was meant to do for Gigi. It wasn’t a choice — it was a purpose. I am not worried.”
Family reactions came later — fear, pride, and concern. Maggie reassured them all: “I’ll be okay. God is in the details.”
Surgery Day
The transplant took place at Northwestern Medical Center in downtown Chicago, in adjacent operating rooms. Aunt Gigi was taken in first. Then Maggie. Two lives. Two surgical teams. Working side-by-side — one receiving, one giving.
The surgery was a success. Hours later, a portion of Maggie’s liver was beating with life inside her aunt’s body.
Life After Donation
Aunt Gigi is recovering remarkably well — so well that she recently shoveled snow from her own driveway during inclement winter weather.
For Maggie, recovery brought physical healing — and something deeper.
“Something shifts in you after becoming a living donor — a perspective reset of sorts,” she shared.
It sparked a desire to keep helping others. Maggie began mentoring individuals considering donation, guiding them through fears, logistics, and emotions.
Her advice? “Take the class. For some people, time is limited — but the donor class gives you confidence that things will go well.” She emphasizes the science behind living donation: “The statistics are so good. Medically, they have this down to a real science.”
And the reward? “It’s nice to be able to help another human being… to extend life a little bit longer.”
A Lasting Gift
Today, Maggie speaks about donation with clarity and conviction: “Being a living donor is so worth it. It’s rewarding to give more time and health to another human. The doctors are amazing — they do this every day.”
Maggie didn’t just donate an organ. She donated time — to Uncle John and Aunt Gigi, to their legacy.
The gift of life means more birthdays. More family game nights. More ordinary days that families quietly treasure. And in return, she gained something equally profound: A life expanded — not shortened — by the act of giving.
Her story may not be finished.
Uncle John — Aunt Gigi’s husband — is now waiting for his own transplant, seeking a kidney match with A+ blood. Maggie continues to watch, be the voice of hope, faith and support, guiding her family with compassion and lived wisdom. Once you’ve given life, you never quite stop looking for ways to give it again.
