

Tammy Yorba
Tammy is a proud graduate of Vernonia High School, Class of 1985, along with classmate and friend, Earl Cramer-Brown. Years later, when Tammy learned her friend needed a kidney, she stepped up to help.
Earl had diabetes from the time he was young. After graduating high school, Earl and his partners built a small business, Vertical Wines. Initially, his health allowed him to do all of the things that went along with running the business, including international travel. But over time, his kidneys began to fail and he began to slow down. By October 2020 it was clear that Earl needed a kidney transplant.
Before Tammy was even aware of her friend’s health situation, she had considered donating a kidney. She explains, “The idea of helping people has always been something that blesses me.” When she saw on Facebook that Earl needed a kidney, she sprang into action. She says, “I had the application completed within the hour.”
Tammy was disappointed to learn that she wasn’t a match for Earl, but that didn’t mean she was going to give up. She could still donate to help save Earl’s life. She explains, “The National Kidney Foundation supports building a kidney donation chain. In short, I was able to give into the program for someone who was a match for my Type A+ and that entitled Earl, as my designee, to a kidney from the program when one that was his type (O) became available.” Her disappointment turned to optimism and excitement, knowing that she could still help her friend. She was also blessed to have supportive family and friends by her side.
In July 2022 at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Tammy donated a kidney to a woman she had never met, but who had been selected as the optimum match for Tammy’s kidney. Though privacy laws down allow Tammy to know much about her recipient, she was happily able to learn later that the transplant had been extremely successful.
Earl’s part of the process took a bit longer due to health concerns related to his kidney failure, but in January 2024, Earl received a donated kidney from a generous donor. His transplant was also a success, and as his health has returned, Earl has been able to begin rebuilding his business, which is now known as ECB Selections. He’s back out and about, reestablishing relationships in the wine community that he’s worked in for years.
Now an active volunteer for Donate Life Northwest and the Portland chapter of WELD (We Encourage Living Donation), Tammy is pleased to have been able to become a living donor and help save her friend’s life. She says, “Giving my kidney has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. My life is mostly unchanged, but at least two others have had their lives changed and extended.”