A story of friendship and life-saving generosity reached a national audience this week as St. Margaret’s Lower School Assistant Principal Maile Bellosi and her friend, Renee Watson, appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show to share their story of organ donation. 

Mrs. Bellosi suffered from kidney failure caused by an inherited disease that also affected her father and multiple siblings. As her condition worsened in recent years, Mrs. Bellosi began weighing options: Either seek dialysis treatments, or find a live donor match for a transplant. 

Mrs. Bellosi ended up undergoing a kidney transplant in November, with her friend and fellow educator Ms. Watson among the many volunteers who turned out to be the best match. Both are doing well in recovery, and Mrs. Bellosi returned to work at St. Margaret’s in February. 

Prior to her medical leave, Mrs. Bellosi delivered a Chapel homily to Lower School, Middle School and Upper School students about her journey.

Their story attracted media attention–the two were interviewed on ABC7 in December just a few weeks after the transplant, and The Jennifer Hudson Show reached out with interest soon after. The two friends decided to share their story to offer hope to those who need a transplant, and to raise awareness on the need for organ donation. 

Their segment on The Jennifer Hudson Show was taped in March, and the episode aired this week. At St. Margaret’s, some students and professional community stayed after school to watch the show together in Sillers Hall. 

You can view part of Mrs. Bellosi’s segment on The Jennifer Hudson Show below: