INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — One Indianapolis disc jockey will soon be giving a part of herself to someone in need.
Nikki Reed has been with the Smiley Morning Show on WZPL for about nine years, but she recently made a decision that will change her life.
"The more I researched it the more I started to ask why don't more people do this. It's a lot simpler than it sounds," Reed said.
On Thursday the 34-year-old announced she's donating her kidney to a stranger.
"I actually put in to donate to Michael Kaltenmark, who is the handler for Butler Blue dog, and I wasn't a match for him, but I thought if I was willing to do it, why wouldn't I be willing to do it for anybody," said Reed.
Reed said her research leading up to her interview with Kaltenmark motivated her to step up.
"There was something inside of me that said this is what you're supposed to do," she said.
Reed said the process of becoming a donor began seven months ago.
She recently began documenting her story on YouTube. It's called "Nikki's Kidney Minute 3: All The Testing and My Parasite!"
"Tons of tests. That's all that I've been doing lately," she said. "Let's see I did a mammogram, and a pap smear and a chest X-ray and an EKG and an Echocardiogram. I did all my blood testing and it found I had some sort of parasite."
Doctors killed off those parasites. Now, she's prepping for her Dec. 18 operation.
"If I do nothing else, I can use this platform for good. I can show people how you don't have to be afraid to give to others. You don't have to be scared of couple of needles or a surgery, if it can save a life," she said.
Reed said doctors told her recovery should take about two months. She wants to meet donor, but said ultimately is up to the recipient.