Pam Williams

David and Pam Williams: The Gift of Life
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Pam Williams
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What few knew, however, was, shortly after her run at the tournament, Pam returned home to undergo a major operation alongside David, who had been diagnosed with renal failure after a routine doctor's visit in 2004.

It was a tumultuous time for the Williams'. Pam had just been laid off her job of eight years, a victim of downsizing. With no insurance and a sick husband, she launched a life insurance franchise. But despite building a successful company of 200 employees, she still could not insure David. So Pam left and embarked on a career - with medical benefits - as a financial specialist with Wachovia.

David had two options at that point: organ donation, for which the wait would be three to five years; or dialysis four days a week for four hours a day. Frustrated by both choices, Pam volunteered to be her husband's organ donor. Though she was told it was extremely rare for spouses to be suitable donors, days of MRI's, psychological testing and examinations by nephrologists determined Pam to be a perfect match.

Last year on July 30th, her 32nd birthday, Pam underwent a kidney transplant and gave her husband of 10 years the ultimate gift, the gift of life.

"I didn't want him to be on dialysis; that would not be a good quality of life for us," she said. "I just trust God and have faith that he will see us through."

As far as her agenda post surgery, Pam - fit from 13 years of tennis - plans to hit the courts and be back to 100 percent by this summer.