Meet The Recipients

I was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease when I was 14 years old. My kidney disease was caused by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; an inflammatory disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues. My diagnosis was quick and I started emergency dialysis immediately. I initially did in center hemodialysis, but found that it limited my ability to attend school and have a normal teenage life. I soon switched to peritoneal dialysis, which gave me the ability to do my treatments in the comfort of my own home. After doing dialysis treatments for 3 years, I received the awesome news that I had regained enough kidney function and that I no longer need dialysis. Words cannot express how overjoyed I was. Doctors tell me that that doesn’t happen. I consider that a blessing and a miracle. I was off dialysis for a little over 22 years, and then I was told that my creatine levels were rising and I would have to start dialysis again in the future. I was devastated when I got the news, but I knew that I needed to be proactive. I told my nephrologist that I wanted to go ahead and start dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis was again my treatment choice. While this type of dialysis allowed me to have the freedom to work, travel with my family, and enjoy life, I didn’t want to live the rest of my life on a machine. I then began the workup process to be placed on the kidney transplant list, and after being on dialysis for 16 months, I finally received the call that changed my life. July 15, 2017 is a day that I will never forget. I would be receiving a kidney from a deceased donor. My emotions were all over the place. My wait for a kidney was finally over and I owed my life to a total stranger; that I know now as Cory. Words cannot adequately express my gratitude to my donor and donor family. My life has forever been changed, and I am so thankful for my gift. Cory saved my life. “Organ donation is a tragic-beautiful thing”, and I’m here today because someone said yes. What an amazing act of love!

I’m Michelle a 34 year old single mother of two. My daughter Michela is 18 and my son Mikhail is 11. We are from Charleston South Carolina where I have a big family. Now I live in Bensalem Pennsylvania on the outskirts of Philadelphia. We moved here for I could be seen by the doctors at the UPenn. I’ve been meaning to write my story but my life has been like a rollercoaster ride since November but after the last 7 months I’ve had I’m like it won’t hurt to at least try through the shaking from the new medications. I was told in 2017 after having pneumonia after phighting Idiopathic Arterial Pulmonary Hypertension since March 2009 that I-needed a double lung transplant but after testing I really needed a double lung transplant and heart. That’s when hospital back home informed me that they couldn’t continue to care for me that my rare terminal illness IPAH has reach its end stage. I was referred to 5 hospitals. Two hospitals did accept my referrals a hospital in California and another Pennsylvania. Me being from Charleston SC and being sick for so long I definitely couldn’t afford to live in California so that’s how I ended up being seen at UPenn. The others rejected case because it was high risk and I only had state medicaid. I was on the highest dose of veletri both hospitals had ever seen 101 ng that was ten vials of 1.5 crazy right? I know they didn’t even know if it was even safe for me at that point why I spent 130 days in the hospital straight. I only weighed 98 lbs when I was admitted Nov 9 2018 so I was too small and two weak to be listed. So I had a feeding tube placed but with my enlarged liver all the feeds would just be pushed back up while I slept. So they put me on TPN nutrition through IV and I was told to eat as much small meals as possible all day. So I could gain strength and weight to be evaluated once again to be listed. 79 days it took me to get listed but it only took me 12 days to get my call for my 2nd chance at life on Feb 9 2019. I was making valentine cards for other patients in the hospital. My grandma was the first person I called as always she is my biggest prayer warrior. All these 9th dates right that’s another thing that’s so amazing about this story and how I know these organs are exactly for me. Today In March 29 I’m a year a month and 10 days post transplant. I get confused with numbers and dates post transplant. The insomnia is difficult to deal with wish I was warned about it like I was warned about the shaking the anti rejection meds causes. Currently I’m on 26 different kinds of medications. So its no telling which one causes what. Transplant definitely isn’t a cure but it did save my life bc I felt myself dying I was so scared every night when I would go to sleep wouldn’t awaken the next morning. No more shortness of breath no more oxygen or pumps and I can take the stairs if I want. I had pulmonary rehab 3 times a week but just like my rejection meds I will be on forever and I have to workout forever too. I’m just glad the road to recovery isn’t as rough as I would of thought. It was rocky at first but the pavement as smoothing out quite nicely. Just issues with diabetes and stopping the high sugar numbers due to steroids I’m on forever. Having my double lung heart transplant was the best decision I could of made. Thanks to my donor A 30 year old female and her family for giving me a second chance you didn’t pass away in vein. I will cherish our organs forever.

01/26/2011- Kidney/ Pancreas Transplant

Educating Minorities About Transplants, Inc. (EMAT) celebrates Kidney/ Pancreas recipient Phadra Pinckney. Her story includes her donor Michael D. Moore. Please follow the links associated with the story.

Phadra Pinckney- Kidney Pancreas Rec…

https://youtu.be/5A94zSOLReg

Mother Meets Recipient of Son…

http://neshobademocrat.com/Content/NEWS/News/ Article/ Mother-meets-recipient-of-son-s-organs-following-his-shooting-death/2/297/32080

Organ Donor’s Gifts Save 4 Lives

https://www.wlbt.com/story/25060320/organ-donors-gift-saves-4-lives/

Family Honors Murdered Son by…

https://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Family-Honors-Murdered-Son-by-Community-Day-Trail-Ride-278952361.html

ShirLey Brill, Double Lung Transplant recipient Kimberly Clayton, Kidney/Pancreas recipient

Kidney Transplant Recipient