An Equation for Hope: Longtime St. John’s Administrator Must Find a Kidney Donor

Christine M. Goodwin '96C, '98G, '07PD, '21Ed.D., is not one to leave things to chance. At 51, she has built a career as Assistant Provost for Institutional Research in St. John’s University’s Office of Institutional Research.

The long-serving administrator devotes her life to her alma mater, St. John’s, where she uses data and numbers to solve problems, track trends, predict outcomes, and improve the student experience. Her spreadsheets are legendary—color-coded, precise, and always backed by facts, logic, and irrefutable information.

But there is one variable Christine cannot control: her failing kidney.

“I want to continue to serve St. John’s and our students, but to do so, I need to find a match and a willing kidney donor,” the soft-spoken Long Islander murmurs behind her ever-present surgical mask that protects her compromised immune system. 

Since her early teens, Christine has battled a complicated kidney disorder. Diagnosed at the age of 15 during her first year at Sacred Heart Academy (SHA), Christine endured a kidney biopsy and bled internally for 11 days, but true to her indomitable spirit, she persisted. 

An only child, Christine’s parents were both kidney donor matches. Her father, in a demonstration of unrequited parental generosity, successfully donated one of his kidneys during surgery performed at Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA. 

Christine has carried that kidney—and the lifelong lesson of doing whatever possible to help others—ever since.

Despite her health setback, and long before remote learning became nouveau, Christine, supported by her SHA family, realized her goal to complete high school on time. She endured dialysis and twice-weekly trips to Boston for check-ups, but persevered and adjusted to a normal life as an organ transplant recipient.

In the Fall of 1992, she arrived as a student at St. John’s Queens, NY, campus—a place she has never left.

“Back then, I welcomed the opportunity not to be ‘the transplant girl’ and quickly found a home and an extended family at St. John’s,” she explained. “The Catholic and Vincentian mission of St. John’s transformed me, and I lean on that during this critical health challenge.”

When not working as she has for the last 28 years, Christine enjoys volunteering, traveling, and the theater. She is an avid sports fan, cheering for the St. John’s Red Storm and her beloved New York Mets. Most weekends during baseball season, you can find her behind home plate at Citi Field. Her consistent jewelry of choice, the Miraculous Medal and a pendant of the Mets logo, demonstrate her passions.

For decades, Christine has managed her health and compromised immune system with discipline—tracking her vitals, optimizing her diet, exercising caution, and staying ahead of every medical challenge. Her life has been a careful algorithm of appointments, medications, and resilience. 

Until now.

Recently, her doctors delivered news Christine had long anticipated, but hoped would never come: her kidney is in irreversible decline. The kidney that her father donated 35 years ago is decreasing its function and another transplant is essential.

Christine approaches this critical health challenge as she does everything else—with data and determination. Leaning on her Catholic faith and tapping into an expansive professional and alumni network, she is working closely with Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health-care provider and private employer, to identify a living donor.

“A lifelong learner, Christine wants to make this experience a teachable moment,” explained Lucy A. Pesce, Executive Director for Mission Initiatives, a longtime colleague, dear friend, and advocate for Christine’s latest health situation. “There are 500+ people already on a waiting list at Northwell. Waiting on a transplant list will take time that Christine does not have. Christine wants people to know that

• Donor surgery is a safe and effective laparoscopic surgery.
• A person only needs one kidney to live a normal, long, and healthy life.
• Donors do not need to take medications or adhere to a restrictive diet.
• The recipient’s health insurance covers the donor evaluation and surgery cost, and there are no out-of-pocket expenses to donors.
• A living donor is preferred as it offers the best possible outcomes with minimal risks and complications.”

“Not everyone is willing or even a suitable candidate for kidney donation,” stated Victoria Santangelo, Associate Vice President for University Mission and Ministry. “But perhaps another person in your social network is and could be the difference-maker. Everyone can send positive thoughts and prayers for Christine and her success in identifying and securing a living donor.”

According to Northwell, nationwide, more than 100,000 people wait for a lifesaving or life-changing donation of an organ or tissue. Thousands die each year when an organ does not become available in time. In New York, one person dies every 18 hours waiting for an organ.

“What Christine needs is for her story to be told, the details of the transplant process, and how potential donors can help,” observed Brian Browne, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Public Affairs. “This effort is not only about prolonging her life. For Christine, it is about trying to solve a lifelong equation to gain more time—our most precious commodity.”

For now, Christine feels healthy and personifies another metric: hope. While not quantifiable, it is real—and it is hope that keeps her coming to campus daily and pointing her toward a future she cannot wait to live.

If you are interested in learning more about Christine’s health challenge and kidney donation, please contact Libbie Binkiewicz, LMSW, and the Living Donor Team at Northwell Health at 516-666-0899 or [email protected].

Watch Christine's story, as told by News 12 – Long Island.