For most, the holiday season is known as the season of giving. For Leah Taylor, it's the season where she received one of the greatest gifts she could ever receive — the gift of life.

In July of 2015, Taylor was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease known as IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disease also known as Berger's disease. Since she was adopted, Taylor didn't know her family history.

"When I got sick, I was 35," Taylor said. "My oldest daughter was 14 and my youngest was 3. So, I'm living for them. I could not imagine dying — right? — and leaving them without a mother."

Taylor was eligible to be added to the transplant list on Nov. 18. The average time a patient waits for a kidney is between three to five years, and time is a significant factor for survival.

"That's all I wanted, w

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