“I find it fascinating to see two people living from what one has”: an organ donation from a Montpellier woman that turns into a nightmare

Jane Damien, 28, gave her kidney to a friend. A donation that led her into a real imbroglio with her employer. Story.

She doesn't want anyone to thank her. “It's a gift, period. That's all it takes. And I find it fascinating to see two people live from what one has“, comments Jane Damien in one go from the height of her 28 years. Her donation ? That of one of her kidneys to Camille, a friend who is dear to her, suffering from a kidney disease since birth.

So, between seeing Camille waste away slowly and making an organ donation to save her, Jane didn't hesitate for long. Especially " since I start from the principle that life is written. So, if it ends on a good thing, it's worth it. And I would like it if tomorrow, if my nephew or niece needed a kidney, someone would step up. So the only question I asked myself was that of compatibility".

Was it the fact of having brushed with death while working in his father's funeral business that gave him this philosophy of life?? Difficult to determine. Her sister, Floriane, says of her that she is one of those people for whom helping is a priority, for whom the common good and justice are central elements that characterize each of her decisions. The only certainty is that her strong character, her keen sense of others and her principles led her to make this donation without a moment's hesitation.Jane Damien has always been a go-getter. After a BTS in management and a professional degree in cultural business management, she set up a pastry and performance hall, “L'Oxymore”, in Paris. Covid put an end to her adventure. She decided to come and settle in Montpellier, where her father lives. After several day jobs, and while waiting to be able to rebuild her business in the cultural sector, she followed a work-study training course as a nursing assistant which led her to join the Little Sisters of the Poor in Montpellier in August 2023.

At the same time, the number of potential kidney donors for her friend was dwindling, so she decided to offer her own. After the usual checks in this area, the Necker Hospital in Paris gave the green light for the organ to be removed and transplanted. The operation took place in December 2023. If all goes well, the convalescence will become unexpectedly complicated.

A delay in sending salary certificates from the religious congregation and the costs incurred due to not receiving her money on time will turn this generous act into an administrative nightmare and plunge her into precariousness. A standoff then begins between the religious congregation and the apprentice nursing assistant. The hospital social worker steps in to speed things up, but to no avail.

The tone rises and a standoff begins. "If they had been sorry for all the difficulties I went through because of them, I would have been accommodating. But that is not the case. What I am asking for today is the reimbursement of the amount I had to spend because of their delay", she explains. In the absence of an acceptable response from them, she decided to take action against them at the Industrial Tribunal.

And because you can always take something positive from a bad experience, she has just written a play, “Bienveillance mon cul: de la formation d'aide-soignante aux pompes funèbres”, which will soon be performed in Paris, then in Montpellier, once she has found a venue to perform in.