Jason “JD” Dunavant, a beloved athletic trainer in Northeast Louisiana, is eagerly awaiting a kidney transplant after two years of battling end-stage renal failure. His life changed suddenly when he went to the emergency room and learned that his kidneys had completely stopped functioning. Since then, he has relied on long dialysis treatments to survive, balancing grueling nights on the machine with full days in the trainer’s room, refusing to let his illness slow him down.
For two years, Dunavant endured the physical and emotional toll of dialysis, holding onto faith and hope. Then, in December, he received a life-changing call from Jennifer Owens, a former colleague. Owens, believing their connection was part of a greater plan, selflessly offered to donate one of her kidneys. “I’ve got two of them, and I want to help you out,” she told him. If all goes as planned, Dunavant will undergo transplant surgery in May.
Dunavant’s story resonates deeply with his boss, Mike Collins, who donated a kidney to his sister four years ago. Collins understands the life-saving power of organ donation and describes the experience as the “ultimate gift.”
As Dunavant prepares for surgery, he continues to embrace life with humor and optimism, even serving as king of the Krewe de Life Mardi Gras Ball, an event dedicated to raising awareness for organ and tissue donation. Grateful for the generosity of his donor and the support of his community, Dunavant looks forward to the day he will no longer rely on dialysis and can truly feel “warm again.”
