Olga Payne never expected she’d find a kidney donor just a few months after posting about her need on Facebook.
The Washington Heights resident had been battling polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic disorder causing fluid-filled cysts to grow inside the kidneys, enlarging them and damaging healthy tissue. The disease is often inherited, as in the case of Payne—her father had PKD, as did her aunt, cousin and sister.
After months of dialysis, she received a life-saving transplant at the beginning of January, with the donation from Andi Durbin, a Morgan Park resident.
“I cried. I screamed. I was just thanking God,” Payne said.
Last May, after starting at-home dialysis due to the progression of her PKD, Payne posted on Facebook that she needed a kidney donor. While Payne was able to keep up with her daily activities and continue working as a teacher, dialysis meant planning every night around her eight-hour treatment and accounting for any unexpected complications.
“I put the post out, and I just left it as is,” Payne said. “If you told me you were going to try, I didn’t follow up because I didn’t want it to seem like I was hounding people. I didn’t push it because I know that this is a very personal decision.”
The future donor and recipient were not complete strangers; Payne knew Durbin’s husband, Pat, when they volunteered on the board of the American Youth Soccer Organization, which held games at the Dan Ryan Woods.
Years later, when all three began frequenting Nicky’s of Beverly, 10500 S. Western Ave., for the Thursday night vinyl nights, the reconnection began.
“We walked in one day, and Pat and Olga saw each other and reconnected. Olga was always there on Thursday nights, and we were there on Thursday nights,” Durbin said. “Our friend groups just melded together on the patio there, and so it just became a thing.”
When Durbin came across Payne’s post searching for a donor, she drew on her past consideration of donating a kidney to a former co-worker decades earlier.
“Years ago, I had considered donating a kidney; but with the recovery and stuff, I still had a kid at home who wasn’t fully independent,” Durbin said, “so I reluctantly put that idea aside.”
But on Oct. 17, 2025, after being approved by a doctor, Durbin broke the news that Payne’s wait was over.
“It was very emotional for both of us; we both cried,” Durbin said. “Now, we text regularly; it’s very nice. I feel like we’re going to be close for a long time.”
Durbin’s selfless act not only improves Payne’s quality of life but also highlights the impact that living donors can have. While the pair faces weeks of recovery post-transplant, their bond—and Payne’s renewed health and independence—stands as a powerful reminder of how an act of generosity can change a life.
“I just know that every Jan. 5, we are going to do something together, even if it’s just going to grab a bite to eat or something,” Payne said. “But, that’ll be our new day to celebrate, and I’m excited.”
