WOMEN make POSSIBLE. Visit vsuw.org/womenunited or email womenunited@vsuw.org to get involved. Women give so much. They give their time, their wisdom, and their resources. They invest in bettering our homes, our workplaces, our communities, and our world. Valley of the Sun United Way is honored that so many amazing women have supported our community by not only giving, but by leading our work to create Mighty Change in health, housing and homelessness, education, and workforce development. To every woman who invests in caring for our community, thank you.

T his is a story of giving part of oneself to others. Literally. Brad Nagel is a mortgage banker in Phoenix with a large extended family. About 20 years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease. It was a fluke — he had just had a daughter and wanted to get some more life insurance just in case. So he took a physical, and there it was. “Initially, when I started to get treated on it, they told me I would need a kidney transplant in about a year,” he said. “But I tried some experimental medications, and eventually, we were able to kind of pause it. It was still moving forward, but at a very slow pace.” Nagel characterizes it as a “Stage 3” situation at that time, but in 2019, things took a turn for the worse — he advanced to “end-stage.” Looking for advice, he reached out to his uncle, who had been a liver transplant recipient in the past. After that conversation, word about Nagel’s situation spread quickly through his family, including to his cousin, Tami Butcher. Butcher is well-known in Valley circles. The Chandler resident’s family owns the Aunt Chilada’s restaurant near Piestewa Peak, and she is a “purpose partner” with Think Goodness, the parent company of the Origami Owl brand of jewelry. She also sits on the East Valley Women’s League board and is extensively involved in charity events. “Literally the same day, I had Tami and other members of the family wanting to apply to be kidney donors,” Nagel said. “I was really blessed and really lucky that so many people wanted to help.” Tom Evans I Contributing Editor Kidney transplant brings family closer together NEXT DOORS { ahead of the curve } The Gift That Keeps on GIVING Cousins Brad Nagel and Tami Butcher have a whole new appreciation for health and family. Photo by Tina Celle / STUDIO No5 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | 55 | MAR/APR 2022