Photo Credit: Cynthia Flood, NBC features reporter, Cat Greenleaf, Heather Flood, Jennifer Flood with daughter Meredith.

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September 17, 2010

We are three sisters from New York who had one out of box idea -- to post an ad on Craigslist for a living donor for our father, after he was diagnosed with kidney disease. We were not compatible to donate to him, so we put the word out there to the universe! I am a nurse, my twin sister works in finance on Wall Street and our other sister is a social worker and Columbia alumni. We had used Craigslist for selling our jewelry, advertising, for jobs and for finding childcare ( I'm a single mom). We figured it had worked for everything else so why not for Dad? For a living donor?

After a year and 4 months, much publicity and over 100 responses thereafter, an unknown woman from Monterey, California donated her kidney to our father. Today, they are both doing amazing!

Out of our journey with our father, we decided we wanted to help others in need and so we launched a non-profit kidney foundation, The Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation of America. Our foundation matches those in need of a kidney donor. We also educate the world on kidney health.

So far, we saved 4 lives -- and our 5th transplant will be on September 18, 2010. We connected a 17-year-old young man, Adam McCleskey with his cousin's friend, Brett Conerly Hartmann through our foundation. The surgery will be done at Johns Hopkins Medical Center with world renown transplant surgeon, Dr. Robert Montgomery.

Adam has been on dialysis all of his life and has polycystic kidney disease along with high antibodies, which make it harder for him to receive a suitable match. Adam's mother donated to him a few years ago and the surgery did not go well. As a result, his mother's kidney was damaged during the surgery.

Adam's cousin, Mackenzie Denton tested for Adam and she was not a match. Finally, Mackenzie's friend, Brett saw how important this meant to her and decided he would test for Adam. Sure enough, the transplant team confirmed that Brett was a match! It was a miracle for everyone.

At Flood Sisters, we educate the world on kidney health and organ donor awareness as well as making sure those waiting for a kidney donor, receive one! At the end of the day, we know our work is complete, when another life has been saved.

Our story is simple. It is a message that conveys the courage to go beyond the norm and act upon it. It is only through courage, persistence, hope and love that we can start saving lives together.

To learn more about the Flood Sisters or to help out with their charity visit www.floodsisters.org

Pictured: Cynthia Flood, NBC News features reporter Cat Greenleaf, Heather Flood, and Jennifer Flood with daughter, Meredith.

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