At 42, Eliot has spent nearly a decade caring for transplant patients at Memorial Healthcare System. His journey began in his 30s when he received a Memorial scholarship to attend nursing school—an opportunity that launched a new chapter in his life. After graduating, Eliot started his career as a nurse at Memorial Hospital West.

Over time, he transitioned into a quality specialist role at the Memorial Transplant Institute at Memorial Regional Hospital, where he helps ensure the highest standards of care for transplant patients.

Working closely with transplant teams every day gave Eliot a deep understanding of the life-changing impact of organ donation. He never expected to become a transplant patient himself.

Eliot was already familiar with the transplant journey. Ten years earlier, he had received a liver transplant that saved his life. Over time, however, complications led to kidney failure. After four years on kidney dialysis, Eliot knows how long and uncertain the wait can feel.

Because of his professional experience, Eliot understood the risks, statistics, and complexities surrounding organ transplantation. At the same time, working within Memorial’s transplant program gave him a unique sense of reassurance. He knew the people who would eventually care for him.

Finding a Living Donor

After about seven to eight months on the kidney transplant waitlist, Eliot connected with Renewal, an organization that helps facilitate living kidney donation. Within just a few months, Renewal identified a compatible donor.

In September 2025, Eliot underwent a successful kidney transplant surgery at Memorial under the care of transplant surgeons Edson Franco, MD, and Adarsh Vijay, MD. The very next day, Eliot met the person who made it possible—a medical student he had never met before, but whose family had a long tradition of organ donation.

A New Appreciation for Normal Life

Today, Eliot continues his recovery while working in the same office alongside many of the physicians and team members who cared for him. Experiencing organ transplantation as both a healthcare professional and a patient has given him a deeper perspective on the work he does every day.

“You don’t realize how normal life can be at the end of this when things have been so abnormal for so long,” Eliot says. “A year ago, I didn’t think normalcy would even be something I would consider.”

His advice to other transplant patients is simple but powerful.

“If you do what they tell you to do, listen to your doctors, and follow their orders, things can turn around pretty quickly and out of nowhere.”

For Eliot, the experience has reinforced something he already knew well from years of caring for others: organ donation has the power to transform lives, including his own.