With a passion for running, Kimberley has been athletic her entire life. If she is not running along the Milwaukee Lakefront, she is hiking with her best friend or in a yoga class. "I belong to a local running team, and they have become my family," said Kim.
In 2016, Kim went on a 20-mile training run. As she was crossing the street, a car ran a red light, forcing her to jump out of the way, and she landed on her knees. In 2018, Kim felt something wrong with her knee while racing a 5k. Kim could not run, work out, stand, or sit for long periods. When she walked, it was painful. "I was devastated that I couldn’t run. I saw an orthopedic surgeon who ordered an MRI. My results showed a tear in my meniscus," Kim stated.
During a procedure, the surgeon found a sizable hole in Kim's patella (kneecap). He repaired it as much as possible and hoped that it would improve. After eight weeks, there was no improvement, so the decision was made to move forward with an osteochondral allograft transplant.
After the transplant in 2019, Kim spent 10 months recovering before returning to running, bringing her total number of half-marathons to 76. "I want to tell the donor's family thank you for the unique gift, which was life-changing and mentally lifesaving and never taken for granted," Kim said. She has always advocated for organ and tissue donation and her experience is proof that donations enhance lives.