Lee & Laurie: A Story of Life and Love

Laurie Scheer was a 20-year-old Nebraskan college student when she had what she thought was a typical round of strep throat. But when her kidneys began to fail, it was clear there was nothing typical about her illness. It was a difficult period; she had to quit school and move in with her parents. Doctors, hospitals, and dialysis were exhausting until, after 15 months, her dad, Dan, was able to donate a kidney to her.

Life after transplant was so much better! Laurie had so much more energy than she’d had on dialysis, and she soon began to compete in the Transplant Games of America. In 2002, at the Games in Orlando, Laurie met another young kidney recipient from Washington State – Laura Ellsworth. And in 2004, when Laura ran into Laurie at the next Transplant Games in Minneapolis, Laura introduced Laurie to another Washington State teammate and kidney recipient – Lee Golden.

“We ran into Laurie one night when our team was out,” says Laura. “We were at a local campus restaurant and hang-out called ‘Dinkytown.’ I wanted to introduce Laurie to my teammates because she really stood out to me as someone special.”

Lee and Laurie hit it off, maintaining a friendship across the miles.  When they were reunited at the 2006 Transplant Games in Louisville, it was clear that the friendship was becoming something more. Eventually, Laurie moved to Vancouver, Washington, to join Lee, but then in 2012, her transplanted kidney began to fail.

Lee had received a kidney from his mom, Dolores, in 2000. When he met Laurie in 2004, they found they had a lot in common. And when Laurie faced her second round of kidney failure and the possibility of a second transplant, Lee knew exactly how to support her.  That support included doctor visits and manning her Facebook page to keep everyone informed.

On April 28, 2015, Laurie received her second transplant at Legacy Transplant Services in Portland, Oregon. Her donor was her brother, Jeff.

Today, thanks to three generous donors, Lee and Laurie are healthy and enjoying life. They are active Donate Life Northwest volunteers, and they often participate with the local team of Transplant Trotters in events such as the Portland to Coast relay, where they raise awareness for organ donation.