Sharing Life: Inside Living Kidney Donation and the CORE Kidney Program

Living kidney donation is often misunderstood — frequently associated with crisis or heroism, rather than with thoughtful care, ethics and shared humanity. In this episode of Medically Speaking, Dr. Eve Glazier explores living kidney donation through the real experiences of those who live it from every side. She's joined by Dr. Anjay Rastogi, director of UCLA Health's CORE Kidney Program, along with Phillip Palmer, ABC7 Eyewitness News anchor and a living kidney donor, and Nanette Zumwalt, a transplant recipient who lived for years with polycystic kidney disease. Together, they discuss what it truly means to share life — how donors are protected, how recipients navigate gratitude and vulnerability, and how comprehensive programs like CORE Kidney support patients and families from early disease through transplant and beyond. Grounded in evidence and lived experience, this conversation reframes kidney donation not as a moment of heroism, but as an extraordinary intersection of science, trust and humanity.
Learn more about the Core Kidney Program at uclahealth.org/programs/core-kidney.
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Podcast Credits UCLA Health Medically Speaking with Dr. Eve Glazier
Host Dr. Eve Glazier
Executive Producers Annie Krasnow Michael Burke Suzanne Koudsi Walker
Producers Niki Miller Jessica Alabastro
Creative Producer Kanza Shaheen
Technical Directors Adrian Cardoso Andrew Stocks
Editor Tony Sweet
Recorded at Canella Media
Special Thanks To our expert guests and the incredible staff across UCLA Health who make this podcast possible. A special thank you to Johnese Spisso, President of UCLA Health and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System, for her visionary leadership and support. We are also grateful to the patients and families whose stories inspire our work every day.
Produced by UCLA Health Communications & Marketing
For More Information Visit: ⁠uclahealth.org/medicallyspeaking
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.