Hi, I’m Emily Klamkin. I live outside of Dallas, Texas. My life has been filled with many ups and downs. As a newborn, I wasn’t able to keep nutrition or fluids down. I was tube-fed on and off. When I turned 4, I started having seizures and small strokes. I was eventually diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, then chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. My intestines were basically paralyzed. When I was 12, the doctors started talking about an intestinal transplant, but my parents turned it down because there were only 4 ever done and not successful.

Many, many hospitalizations, blockages, infections, and sepsis, chronic pancreatitis. I had my pancreas taken out and islet cells put in my liver. The islets worked too hard and I had severe hypoglycemia.

10 years ago, the doctors once again wanted me to do the transplant. This time I was in need of a five-organ transplant: stomach, pancreas, liver, small and large intestines. Everything failed me, I had no choice this time.

I was listed in 2019 in Miami, FL. My nutrition failed me, many infections and blockages. The national organ donation system let me down. I waited 7 years, the longest waiting in the world. My family and I had pretty much given up hope. Out of the blue at 9:40 PM on 5/25/2025, I received my call! The organs were perfect! We flew out in the early hours of the night to Miami. Cross-testing and a slew of other tests were done. My heart had gone into severe tricuspid regurgitation. They were unsure what to do. Her head surgeon decided to go ahead because he wanted her to have a chance at life. They started surgery and found my organs had turned to “cement.” He started prying out my organs and I started bleeding, then my heart started pouring out blood. One group of doctors kept trying to keep up with my loss as my surgeon pried out my organs. I needed 114 liters of blood. They successfully stopped it after 14 hours and my gifted organs were placed. I am forever grateful to my precious donor. I will keep them alive with honor!

We have been told we need to live in Miami till I’m fully recovered. It’s believed to be a year. We need help with housing and medical bills. We want to express our deepest gratitude to each one of you. If you would please keep me in your prayers as I recover from this. It’s going to be a bumpy road. Above my need for prayer, I ask for prayer for my donor's family. A tragic loss of a teenager brought life to me.