【Media Interview】 United Daily News – Yuanqi Weekly A Stranger’s Gift of Life: How an Organ Donation Rewrote the Journey of a Kidney Warrior

Photo caption: The kidney transplant surgery of Lee Ying-Da (left) was performed by renowned kidney transplant expert **Dr. Lee Po

 

September 21, 2025, 14:52:59 — United Daily News Vitality Weekly, Reported by Journalist Li Shu-Jen

“To My Closest Stranger: Although I don’t know you, I am deeply grateful. On this day 29 years ago, when you became an angel, you gave me the chance to be reborn. For the past 29 years, I have lived on with your organ, sustaining my life.”

Kidney warrior Lee Ying-Da regards June 5th every year as his “Rebirth Day.” On that day, he always posts on Facebook to thank the organ donor who made his second life possible. Without such great love and selflessness, he says he would never have been able to achieve so many “impossible dreams.”

While serving in the military, Lee developed kidney problems. Seeking folk remedies only accelerated the deterioration. In 1988, when President Lee Teng-Hui expanded the military parade, Lee—then on active duty—was marching in the sweltering heat. After the drill, he found his urine turned tea-colored. He was rushed to Tri-Service General Hospital, diagnosed with acute nephritis, and hospitalized for over four months, which later developed into chronic glomerulonephritis.

After leaving the military, his kidney function continued to worsen. Doctors warned he was only steps away from dialysis, but he stubbornly searched for folk remedies, drinking all kinds of herbal concoctions. None worked; instead, they sped up the deterioration. Finally, even his doctors warned: “If you don’t start dialysis soon, your life will be in danger.”

Still, the young and headstrong Lee refused dialysis. One night, shortly after his daughter’s first month, he suddenly collapsed. Rushed to the ER, he was diagnosed with severe kidney failure and fluid buildup in his lungs. Doctors said that without dialysis, death was inevitable. At just 24 years old, he was rescued at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Hospital, and reluctantly began a life of dialysis three times a week—an exhausting routine that robbed him of both quality of life and career opportunities.

During dialysis, he even had a near-death experience. High potassium levels caused him to lose consciousness; his heart stopped, and only after three injections of adrenaline was he revived. Counting his collapses since his military service, Lee says he has “died” three times—thus dubbing himself a “Kidney Warrior rejected by the Grim Reaper.”

After four long years on dialysis, the long-awaited call came. During lunch on June 5, 1996, he received notice from NCKU Hospital: a kidney was available and matched him perfectly. Overcome with emotion, he and his wife held each other and wept. “Of course, I’ll take it,” he told the hospital, choking back tears.

That night, under the skilled hands of Dr. Lee Po-Chang, a leading authority in kidney transplantation, the surgery was performed. Lee recalls: “I slept for more than ten hours in the operating room. When I woke up, my world was in color again.” He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the NCKU transplant team for their meticulous care.

Determined to honor this gift of life, Lee adopted a disciplined lifestyle—healthy eating, regular routines, no late nights—to protect his new kidney. His physical strength gradually returned, allowing him to resume work, fulfill his dream of attending university, and even earn a master’s degree in Leisure and Sports Management at Cheng Shiu University, later becoming a lecturer to educate the next generation.

Thanks to a stranger’s selfless gift, Lee climbed mountains, traveled abroad, and walked his daughter down the aisle. In August 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his wife hiked Yilan’s “Matcha Mountain.” The 12-kilometer round trip was grueling; his body ached, and he struggled for breath. But reaching the summit filled him with tears of gratitude—such a feat would have been impossible if he had still been bound to dialysis.

Reflecting on his dialysis years, Lee admits they were filled with hardship and helplessness. Yet compared with many fellow patients who passed away waiting for a transplant, he feels immensely fortunate.

“The day of my kidney transplant is more important than my birthday,” Lee says. Without it, he would never have become a certified university lecturer, traveled the world, or walked his daughter down the wedding aisle.

The transplant changed the trajectory of his life, inspiring him to dedicate himself as a lifelong volunteer in organ donation advocacy. Every year, he joins NCKU Hospital’s “Cheng-Ai Family” memorial and thanksgiving events, as well as organ donation campaigns, sharing his rebirth story to encourage others to embrace selfless love and spread positive energy.

Source:https://health.udn.com/health/amp/story/6003/9016610