About John

John is a writer of both fiction and non‑fiction—and a kidney transplant recipient. His hope is simple: that The Transplant Handbook becomes a beacon for anyone walking the same difficult path he once did, and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. When he’s not writing, he’s celebrating his second chance at life, enjoying meals without counting fluid ounces or worrying about potassium, and embracing the freedom he fought so hard to regain.

Before the Transplant

Before kidney failure changed everything, John owned and operated a small business—a private mailbox and shipping service that supported local entrepreneurs, home‑based businesses, and individuals in his community. He ran it alone, full‑time, pouring himself into every detail.

But as his kidneys failed, dialysis treatments became physically and mentally draining. He would arrive at work exhausted, often able to do only the bare minimum to keep the doors open. After nearly five years of juggling full‑time business ownership with five days a week of hemodialysis, his health forced a heartbreaking decision: he had to close the business he had built from the ground up.

Life on Pause

John continued working part‑time when he could, but eventually his health and circumstances required him to relocate to a remote farm to stay with relatives. Without a car and with limited mobility, he was unable to work for nearly five years. Life became a cycle of treatments, recovery naps, and doing whatever he could to simply get through each day.

A New Beginning

His transplant marked the start of a long but hopeful recovery. It took 15 months before he could fully return to daily life—and even then, rebuilding wasn’t easy. But with a car, a new home in a small city, and slowly improving health, he found work again through gig jobs like DoorDash, grateful for the flexibility and independence they offered.

Most importantly, he rediscovered freedom.

He traveled—twice—to Thailand, something that would have been impossible while tethered to dialysis. He explored hobbies, reconnected socially, and began shaping a life that wasn’t dictated by treatment schedules or exhaustion.

Life Today

Today, John can plan his days, weeks, and years around what makes sense—not around medical appointments, recovery naps, or the constant fatigue that once defined his life. He cooks when he wants to cook. He travels when he wants to travel. He lives with a sense of possibility that dialysis had slowly taken away.

And through his writing, he hopes to share that possibility with others.

The Transplant Handbook is the guide he wishes he had—clear, honest, practical, and grounded in lived experience. His mission is to help patients and families feel informed, supported, and less alone as they navigate one of the most challenging journeys of their lives.