As Hannah Callahan entered an operating room at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and donated one of her kidneys to someone she never met, she felt confident. The decision to donate required little hesitation.
A few weeks ago, Hannah Callahan entered an operating room at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and donated one of her kidneys to someone she never met. The decision required little hesitation.
Callahan, who lives in Wilmington, Delaware, has worked in Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)'s School of Professional and Applied Psychology for more than six years as a project manager supporting multiple clinical studies. Originally from Pittsburgh, Callahan studied biology and chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh before earning a master's of public health with a focus in epidemiology.
While in school, she worked as a research assistant in intensive care units within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center health system, enrolling families of critically ill patients in studies examining the psychological effects of having a loved one in the ICU.
“I enjoyed working with the families and seeing the direct impact the work was having,” she said. “They were navigating really difficult decisions, and you could see how the research could help them.”
That sense of direct human impact helped shape both Callahan's work and her decision to donate. After learning about the idea of a paired exchange kidney donation through an episode of Grey's Anatomy, she realized she had never considered that a healthy person could donate a kidney while still living—much less to a stranger. She began researching the process and discovered that living donation through programs such as the National Kidney Registry was not only possible, but accessible to healthy volunteers.
“I started filling out the questionnaire and I knew immediately: this is something I can do and that I want to do,” she said.
Once she submitted the initial questionnaire, the process became extensive. Over the next several months, Callahan underwent several rounds of bloodwork and medical evaluations, met with nephrologists and social workers, completed imaging scans and spent a full day at Penn undergoing comprehensive testing. Ultimately, candidates are reviewed and approved by a transplant selection committee.
As a non-directed donor—someone donating to a stranger—Callahan was then entered into the National Kidney Registry, where she was matched with a recipient within weeks.
At the Penn Transplant Institute's Center for Living Donation, physician assistant Lauren Lasker, MS/PA '11, helps guide donors like Callahan through the process before surgery and follows up with them afterward to monitor their recovery and long-term kidney health. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team dedicated exclusively to donor care, she helps patients navigate a process designed to ensure donation is safe and well-supported from start to finish.
“More than 90,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and there are not enough deceased donor organs to meet that need,” Lasker said. “Living kidney donation can help shorten that wait and give patients the chance to undergo transplant sooner, often while they are still in a healthier state.”
The surgery itself was relatively straightforward, with recovery typically taking several weeks. But for Callahan, the physical demands of donation felt small compared with what the transplant could mean for the person on the receiving end.
“A couple of days of testing, a surgery, and a short recovery feels like nothing when you think about someone who might no longer need dialysis for hours every day,” she said.
Nephrology providers within the Penn Center for Living Donation continue to care for kidney donors beyond surgery, and follow patients with periodic check-ups for two years after donation. When months of testing, anticipation, and recovery ultimately give way to ordinary life again, Lasker enjoys seeing donors return to their daily activities, families and hobbies with a renewed sense of strength and wellbeing.
“It's truly a joy and an honor to get to take care of people that are doing something so wonderful for others just out of the goodness of their heart and out of commitment to other people in need,” she said.
Callahan’s friends and family were not surprised by her decision to donate. She describes herself as the caretaker of her friend group—the person people call when they need support or simply a place to sit and talk. To her, the donation felt like a natural extension of that instinct to care for others.
Back home in Wilmington, she spent much of her recovery resting with her cats, Gouda and Stilton, nearby.
“Just because someone is a stranger doesn't mean they're less deserving,” she said. “If one person reads this and thinks, ‘Wow—someone did something good for a stranger,’ maybe it will encourage them to do one good thing. Even a ripple of one is still an impact.”
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
Kristen Hopf
Communications Content Specialist
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: kristenho1@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6303
© 2026 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
