16 | MAY 21 • 2020
A
licia Chandler and Lesley
Miles met as teens at
BBYO. Alicia went to North
Farmington High School and Lesley
went to Berkley. After graduation,
they each went their separate ways.
Little did they know back then
how their paths would cross again
20 years down the road when they
connected again on Facebook, shar-
ing items about their busy lives.
Alicia was married to Jeff
Chandler and raising two children,
11-year-old Brady and 9-year-old
Morgan, in Birmingham. An active
community member and president
of the JCRC/AJC, Alicia had left
her position as a health care attor-
ney to study for her master’
s degree
in Jewish education and Jewish
studies through a distance-learn-
ing course from Hebrew College,
Boston. Her goal is to consult with
organizations that help interfaith
couples navigate family life.
Lesley had been working in
pharmacy-related health support
services and living with her part-
ner, Andy Kitchen. She and her
younger brother were born with a
type of polycystic kidney disease
that affects the kidneys and the
liver. When her brother was 6 years
old, he received a kidney and liver
transplant.
Lesley had lived with worsening
but manageable kidney disease
until now. Her kidney health was
declining. After a medical eval-
uation, her nephrologist told her
she would need to start dialysis.
In fall 2018, Lesley posted on her
Facebook page that she needed a
new kidney.
Alicia saw the post and told her
family she wanted to be tested as a
potential donor. Her mother-in-law
survived kidney cancer, and her husband,
Jeff, has served on the volunteer com-
mittee for the Kidney Ball, a National
Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM)
annual fundraiser. He has also been
elected to the NKFM volunteer board of
directors.
“The likelihood of someone popping
up from my past who needed a kidney
was low, and it felt like this was what I
was meant to do,” Alicia said. “I thought
of the Jewish value of pikuach nefesh, to
save a life. I thought the opportunity to
help Lesley was a blessing.”
A year later, after a lengthy health eval-
uation, Alicia was confirmed as a kidney
donor match for Lesley. Alicia reached
out to tell Lesley the good news.
“It’
s one of those things that is difficult
to put into words,” Lesley said. “‘
Thank
you’
just isn’
t enough. She did it because
she wanted to. I am just so fortunate to
have had her come forward.”
Not long after, Alicia experienced
some health issues and underwent
gallbladder surgery. She had to
wait for medical clearance before
she could move forward with the
transplant.
While Alicia recovered from sur-
gery, Lesley underwent four surger-
ies to prepare one of her arms for
dialysis, which she would start in
January 2020, hoping it would only
need to be temporary.
By the end of December, Alicia
was medically cleared for transplant
surgery. “Even after her gallbladder
surgery, she still went forward and
that just tells you how amazing a
person she is — one of those peo-
ple who is ridiculously amazing,”
Lesley said.
On Jan. 2, 2020, Alicia went
to the mikvah with Rabbi Meg
Brudney of Temple Beth El, who
had written a ritual ceremony to
help her prepare for the surgery.
“My Jewish values permeated the
whole experience,” Alicia said.
The next day, Alicia, at age 40,
donated one of her kidneys to
her childhood friend. She recov-
ered quickly and went home.
Unfortunately, Lesley endured
weeks of complications. She recov-
ered at her Ferndale home with the
help of her mom and Andy. Even
with all the problems, her new kid-
ney is working exactly as it should.
“My gift to Lesley is that she lives
a long and full life,” Alicia said.
“I am uncomfortable with all the
attention. I don’
t think of myself
as ‘
being a hero.’
The reason I talk
about it is so that people under-
stand you can give up a month of
your life, with no restrictions after-
ward, and save someone’
s life.”
Lesley will return to her position
as director of risk adjustment
and strategy and performance for
Advantasure, an organization that helps
health plans navigate the health care
system. She said she feels the need to
protect her new kidney and help others
with kidney disease.
“Someone gave me a part of herself,”
she said. “It came out of her body and
was given to me. If I can’
t protect it, then
it feels almost disrespectful.”
Gift of Life
They met as teens at BBYO;
years later their lives intersected
in a profound way.
JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jews in the D
TOP: Lesley Miles and Andy Kitchen on the day of the surgery.
ABOVE: Jeff and Alicia Chandler at last year’
s Kidney Ball
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NKF