An Easier Kidney Transplant

Flechia Dungee is one person among a significant percent of the population who live with one kidney. About one out of every 1,500 people are born like this. They live fulfilling lives and may not ever be aware of the fact that they do so with one kidney. Flechia is aware. In fact, it is her choice to live this way.

Six months ago, Flechia’s uncle was struggling on dialysis. "He was a late diagnosis in diabetes so his kidneys failed pretty rapidly. He was doing dialysis for the past couple years three days a week, five hours each time. Each time I saw him he looked really bad. He was pale; he looked flushed; his weight [dropped]...he didn’t look good," she says. So, in December of 2004, Flechia called the kidney transplant office and asked if she could be considered as a living donor. She underwent an extensive medical evaluation in early February and on March 7, 2005, Flechia gave a kidney to her uncle during a living donor surgery.

Like so many who suffer from end stage organ disease, Flechia’s uncle never asked for her to help him this way. Flechia would have done anything to help, yet the only time she thought she could donate organs was after she had expired. Flechia’s mother explained that it is possible to donate a kidney while living. Immediately, Flechia wondered what needed to be done to consider her as a living donor. That led to Flechia making her first call to the transplant office to inquire.

The Comprehensive Transplant Center pioneered a minimally invasive living donor surgical procedure (called the laparoscopic nephrectomy) in 1995, that shortens the recovery time for donors. At Hopkins, over 700 living donors have undergone this procedure.

Of these 700 people, the CTC has seen all types of living donors. They are parents, siblings, children, co-workers, friends, church members, old people, young people, every ethnicity and creed.

What are the benefits to living donation? Flechia can tell you them all. She is also aware of what the health impact is to a person who may undergo this surgery. "I did my research about it and asked questions of my medical team," she explains.

In fact, Flechia’s living donor medical team provided her with the latest medical information available. "Our team is trained to help donors think through how this may impact their lives," says J. Keith Melancon, the physician who performed Flecia’s living donor surgery. "We have a group of professionals whose job it is to look out for the best interest of our living donors." Once Flechia arrived at Hopkins for her evaluation, her living donor medical team answered all of her questions and more. They evaluated her medical history for every possible condition. This was important so that she could be assured - and so that her team could be assured - that she was in the best possible condition to undergo surgery. "I like seeing the results myself and seeing it in black and white... in writing," says Flechia.

This whole process has made Flechia more aware of what is necessary to take care of herself. Taking time to eat well and exercise is more responsibility for her, she says, but it is worth it.

"If you want to know why I would undergo a living donor surgery all you have to do is ask about my uncle’s life before the surgery," Flechia says. "Now, to see him, all of his color has returned to his face and he looks healthy again." Flechia and her uncle are enjoying life. "We went to a comedy club to celebrate his birthday last weekend. He stood up and said to everyone ‘This girl gave me a kidney!’"