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

