Posted: 4/2/2018
April is National Donate Life Month
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services estimates there are 114,793 people in the U.S waiting for organ transplants. More than 10,000 are Texans and 162 of these are patients of Parkland Health & Hospital System waiting for a kidney. April is National Donate Life Month and the observance serves as an opportunity to celebrate those saved through donation and to encourage others to register as donors.
“The first kidney transplant in North Texas took place on Nov. 5, 1964 at Parkland. Since then, 2,046 transplants have been performed at our hospital,” said Susan Cauley, RN, Unit Manager of Parkland’s Renal Transplant/Kidney Acquisition department.
Andres Estrada, 72, of Garland is one of those patients. His fight to stay alive began in 2004 when his body drastically slowed down its urine production. A doctor at an urgent care clinic examined Estrada. “He told me I needed to see a specialist immediately because there was something wrong with my kidneys. I dismissed his recommendation and went home. I’m a stubborn man,” Estrada admitted. “The next day I felt terrible. I couldn’t stand up and I was out of breath. My wife convinced me to go to Parkland.”
Estrada was diagnosed with renal insufficiency, a condition occurring when the kidneys lose the ability to remove waste and balance fluids in the body. Estrada was told he needed to undergo dialysis and would eventually need a kidney transplant.
“I was scared. But I knew one thing, I wasn’t giving up,” he said. When Estrada began dialysis treatment, his name was added to the transplant waiting list.
The national average wait time to receive a transplant varies by organ, with the wait time to find a kidney match currently five years. Estrada received a call that changed his life only eight months into his waiting period.
“In September 2005 I got a call from Parkland,” Estrada recalled as his eyes swelled up with tears. “They told me they had found a match.” His donor, a man in his 30s who was a father and newlywed, had died after a motorcycle accident in New York.
But generosity and selflessness often come also from those who choose to donate life while still living. Mary Garcia, 33, of Rowlett can attest to that. She was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2007 after being treated for influenza at Parkland.
“I felt extremely ill. I suspected I had flu, but my gut told me something else was wrong,” Garcia said. “I was told I had extremely high blood pressure which caused renal failure. I was scared and I didn’t know what to do.”
After the diagnosis Garcia began dialysis treatment and was put on the organ waiting list. At the same time, family members began testing to see if they were compatible to become living-donors of a life-saving kidney.
Living donation occurs when a living person donates an organ (or part of an organ) to another person. The living donor can be a family member (parent, child, brother or sister) or someone who is emotionally related to the recipient (friend, spouse or an in-law). Anonymous donation, called non-directed donation, is also a possibility for living donation.
After being on dialysis for five months, they found Mary Garcia’s match, her 18-year-old sister, Victoria.
“I never had any doubts. I knew my sister needed help and since I was a match, it was meant to be,” Victoria Garcia said. “Prior to the surgery I was asked to meet with a psychiatrist. It was very comforting to have that kind of support from Parkland. Everyone made sure I was okay with becoming a donor. I’m very proud about what I did and glad I was able to help my sister because otherwise we wouldn’t have her here today. I would tell other families going through the same situation to support each other as much as possible. Support and love make the donation process easier.”
Since the first successful kidney transplant surgery at Parkland almost 54 years ago, 1,629 deceased donor transplants and 417 living kidney donor transplants have been performed in the hospital. “Although we encourage everyone to consider becoming a donor, it is an extremely personal decision that should be made only after careful thought,” Cauley said.
Those interested in becoming an organ donor can sign up online or in-person at their local motor vehicle department. After registering it is important to let loved ones know you have registered, so they can support your wishes, Cauley added.
“At Parkland we are grateful for donors and our providers and staff who together have saved so many lives. We are very proud of our program and the quality of service we offer our patients,” Cauley said.
Grateful patients like Estrada and Garcia treat every day as a blessing. “I’m alive because of my donor’s generosity and because of Parkland,” Estrada said.
For more information about becoming an organ donor, visit https://organdonor.gov/register.html. For more information on services at Parkland, please visit www.parklandhospital.com.