A best friend’s gift

Showing up for everyone

An Elysburg mom of 2 boys, Ms. Hockenbroch has spent her life caring for other people. Her career, too: She worked as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse for over 20 years and now works in pre-op/post-anesthesia care at Geisinger.

Just as caring runs in her family — her sister is a family practice doctor at Geisinger — Ms. Hockenbroch knew polycystic kidney disease was part of her family story, too. She was diagnosed at 18, having inherited it from her father. But now it was starting to change the rhythm of her days.

Fatigue took over as her kidney function declined. Before she got sick, her life revolved around her sons, Blake and Cole, and their sports schedules. Now she came home and slept, then slept some more.

As a single mom, Ms. Hockenbroch was thinking about recovery before she’d even agreed to surgery. Who would give her rides to appointments and help around the house? Who would pick up the pieces when she couldn’t?

She had support from her family, coworkers and friends. Still, she knew it would be challenging to hold everything together.

Side by side for decades

Kristi Waugh of Trevorton has been Ms. Hockenbroch’s best friend for years. They’ve built careers, raised families and watched their kids, Blake and Lincoln, become best friends too. 

When Ms. Hockenbroch learned she’d need a kidney donor, Mrs. Waugh didn’t wait to be asked. Denise Hall, living donor coordinator in Geisinger Medical Center’s Transplant Department, says, “Kristi had seen what kidney failure and dialysis meant for Kim’s family and didn’t want Kim’s boys to go through the same thing.”

Mrs. Waugh’s testing was thorough: bloodwork, scans, labs and a full day of appointments. Each step brought a mix of nerves and quiet hope. She started the evaluation process in January 2025, including visits with a supportive transplant team who guided her through it. She was approved for donation the next month.

Ms. Hockenbroch replays that appointment like a scene in her mind: her mom and best friend beside her while surgeons and social workers walked them through what would come next. Then, mid-meeting, Ms. Hall popped her head in.

“I have amazing news,” Ms. Hockenbroch recalls her saying. “Kristi’s a match.”

Everyone was overcome with emotion. “Oh my God,” Ms. Hockenbroch says. “We just started crying and hugging.”

Surgery day: Two patients, one shared “why”

On April 18, 2025, Mrs. Waugh gave her friend her kidney. It was an early gift of sorts, coming just a few weeks before Ms. Hockenbroch’s 49th birthday.

The procedure to remove Mrs. Waugh’s kidney was a minimally invasive, laparoscopic/hand-assisted donor nephrectomy, done through an incision at the belly button with additional ports. She remembers how clearly her transplant surgeon, Michael Marvin, MD, walked her through it — down to offering a quick video and explaining that he uses a hand-assisted approach because it feels safer and more controlled.

Dr. Marvin’s careful explanation made the whole process feel less frightening, like she wasn't heading into surgery alone. And the day after donating, she went home.

Surgery day was different for Ms. Hockenbroch. The wait felt long, knowing her friend had to go in before it was her turn. But having her mom close and being surrounded by a team she trusted reassured her. She went home 3 days after surgery.

Now, Ms. Hockenbroch and Mrs. Waugh still laugh about the name they gave the donated kidney: “Little Kristi.”

Supported, checked on and back to normal

In the days and weeks that followed, both women returned to their routines. And both say the whole thing was worth it. Mrs. Waugh puts it simply: “If I didn’t see any incision on my belly, I wouldn’t even know that I had it done.” 

For Ms. Hockenbroch, ongoing follow-up with the transplant team made the experience feel steady and supported. She had frequent check-ins and monitoring, medication management and education, and the comfort of knowing she could reach out when something felt off.

“Oh gosh, so much support at Geisinger.” Ms. Hockenbroch says. “I can't say enough about it. They called me weekly for a few months to check my numbers, to check my weight, to check my blood pressure. We became like a family for sure.”

Life now: Bigger days, fewer “no’s”

The change in Ms. Hockenbroch’s life shows up in small, specific ways. She doesn’t come home and sleep every day. She goes out with friends again. She’s more present for her boys’ milestones, like driver’s licenses and graduation.

She can do things she used to wonder if she’d ever do again, like taking a trip to New York City with her kids and walking more than she could have managed before the transplant.

Mrs. Waugh sees it, too. That’s part of what she hopes people understand about living donations.

“Donation is a beautiful thing. And it doesn’t have to be scary,” she says. “The joy and the high that you get from that stays with you forever.”

Ms. Hockenbroch puts her feelings about her best friend plainly. “Yeah, she can do no wrong ever in my book. She’s my hero. That was the most selfless gift anybody could ever give,” she says.

Mrs. Waugh’s decision changed the trajectory of Ms. Hockenbroch’s disease, says Ms. Hall. “Stories like these remind us of the impact living donation can have on patients and families. Kristi’s choice to become a living kidney donor was an incredible act of kindness. Because of her generosity, Kimberly received a transplant before needing dialysis and is now back to living a full, active life.” 

The need is urgent: More than 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney in the U.S.

The 2 friends hope their story helps someone else take the next step. Maybe that’s registering as a donor. Maybe it’s learning about living donation. Or maybe it’s just starting a conversation that feels a little scary. Because on the other side of that fear is a very real kind of return.

Next steps: 

Read and watch more stories
Learn about Geisinger’s kidney transplant program
5 things to know about donating a kidney