But after a transplant at Harper University Hospital, she had enough energy to earn a master's degree in social work. Today, she works for the Harper University Hospital Kidney Transplant Program, where she helps evaluate whether patients are candidates for a transplant.

At 19, Andrea was a student at Wayne State University. She was doing well in her classes and thinking about a career in social work. Then her kidneys failed. It meant dialysis and feeling terrible most of the time. She dropped out of school, quit her part-time job and stayed in bed all day.