Originally from Chicago, Pleasant Rowland is an educator, writer, and entrepreneur. She’s best known for founding the history-inspired American Girl brand of dolls and books. After decades of living with chronic kidney disease, a lifesaving transplant offered Rowland a healthy kidney, a promising future, and a broader philanthropic scope. She expressed her profound gratitude through a transformational contribution that has elevated care and treatment resources at the UW Health Transplant Center.
“This is my way of saying ‘thank you’ to the team for the incredible care I received here and to the many donors and their families for making such a selfless choice, and it’s a gift to all the transplant recipients who will come here seeking a second chance at life,” shares Rowland. “Life after transplant is wonderful.”