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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nZhang said life before the transplant was a challenge. Everything changed, including his daily routine. As an associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech, the rigorous eight hours needed for home dialysis halted his full-time, in-person work and brought traveling to a complete stop. Zhang said it took a toll on his mental health. \u201cWhen your perspective on life turns bleak, it becomes very easy to fall prey to negative emotions. It is very important to lean on your family, friends, and your community. Stay engaged as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before his kidney failure, Zhang had received impressive research grants from the United States National Science Foundation, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Virginia Sea Grant. He is also a founding member of the VT interdisciplinary graduate program in Disaster Resilience. \u201cI have won the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association Best Educator Award and the VT College of Architecture and Urban Studies\u2019 Ut Prosim Award.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the beginning, Annie said her husband supported her decision, but it was difficult for her parents. \u201cAt the pre-op appointment, Zhang told my\u00a0mom she had an amazing daughter. I think those words helped move my mom to a place of peace with the surgery.\u201d Zhang experienced fears of his own. \u201cThe easiest part was the surgery. The most challenging aspect was my constant anxiety about the well-being of Annie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just love to help and care for others,\u201d said Annie. \u201cI never want anyone to feel alone, afraid, or left out. I always think there are ways to help, and there is always room to grow. The world is sometimes really frightening and full of terrible things, but it\u2019s also incredibly beautiful, and I\u2019m always awed by it. If I can do something to ease\u00a0someone\u2019s suffering, even if it\u2019s something small, I want to know about it and do it. That\u2019s the only way that things really get better \u2014 people have to put action behind their thoughts and words.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that surgery is behind them, Zhang said, \u201cMy goals for the future are twofold. One is to take the best possible care of the kidney that Annie gave me. The other is to make the best of my life, professionally and personally. This is the best I can do to honor Annie\u2019s grace and generosity.\u201d GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" LITTLE GIRLS often dream of becoming famous actresses, veterinarians, or fairy princesses. But Annie Chalmers-Williams dreamt of giving someone her kidney. \u201cGrowing up, I had a friend who desperately needed an organ to live,\u201d said Chalmers- Williams. \u201cI saw what was happening to her and her health as she declined. I remember thinking, \u2018Why doesn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":20603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n