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Hastings, a kidney dialysis nurse at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, has been working in the field for 28 years.
She started working with kidney patients soon after graduating nursing school. Hasting saw an advertisement in her hometown newspaper in International Falls. "Somebody needs somebody to do dialysis for his wife," she remembered.
Dialysis wasn't the field Hastings had planned to enter, she knew it would give her nursing experience allow her to get her foot in the door in her career. In order to work in the dialysis field, Hastings had to complete a three-and-a-half month training program in the Twin Cities.
Hastings, along with three other students, were involved with the training to provide dialysis in rural areas. As students, the group was living in a hospital, on the same floor as the transplant patients, whose recovery period was about six months.
"It was just living with them, patients and seeing their ups and down," Hastings said.
It was those early experiences that started Hastings thinking that she would want to donate a kidney of her own.
After her training, Hastings started working in the International Falls area.
"I was going to people's homes to do dialysis and then it got to a point, where there were no more patients up there, anymore," she explained, "I started looking for work elsewhere and Bemidji is what I chose."
Hastings, 61, waited before deciding to have the donation surgery because she wanted to ensure both of her children and extended family wouldn't need the kidney.
When she decided the time was right, the first step was making sure she was still able to donate. "There is no age limit, as long as you're healthy," she said.
Next, Hastings set out to find a match.
"What I wanted to do was first see if there was anybody within our unit that I could donate to, and I did not match," she said.
The search was expanded to the regional Sanford area, including farther out into Minnesota and North and South Dakota, a match was found.
Before her transplant operation, Hastings underwent organ donation education and had several scans and exams to ensure her transplant would be safe. The surgery went well, and Hastings is back at home, recovering with the help of her husband, Harry.
"It's been good. I'm one to be busy all the time, working in dialysis, you're always busy, you run run run, and I'm here and I'm not running and I'm getting bored," she said.
Hastings plans to return to work March 2. She has no regrets about donating.
"I wish I had another kidney, I would do it again without a doubt."
About Out and About
Out and About is a Pioneer feature where we profile everyday people doing everyday things in and around Bemidji. We run stories on Tuesdays. If you know someone you think should be profiled, please email Maggi Stivers at
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