“I have polycystic kidney disease. My parents had me tested for PKD when I was 12, and that’s when I found out. My mother had PKD and passed away from it in 1988. I watched her go through dialysis. She never got a transplant. I never had any issues myself until I got pregnant. Then I started having high blood pressure and had to see a nephrologist on a regular basis.
“About a year ago, in September 2013, the numbers got low enough that they put me on the list for transplant. My husband, Dan, and I came to UAB July 15, and got a call in October where I was told they thought I could be a part of this chain. It all happened very quickly. I had the transplant surgery on December 11. I was able to avoid dialysis, which was a blessing.
“I was really surprised everything came together as quickly as it did. I thought it was going to be 8-10 years of waiting. They told me that I had high antibodies, so I was difficult to match. I had to have plasmapheresis before my transplant, and I’m continuing those treatments after the transplant.
“I can absolutely tell a difference, just a few days after my surgery. I feel great. My energy level is much higher. Before, I was always tired. I didn’t have the energy and just didn’t want to do anything. I feel much more awake. Even though I’m sore, I feel better overall.
“It’s absolutely amazing that they can do this, that this chain is possible. It’s all due to the donors. They are the angels and the true heroes in all of this.
“I probably would have never gotten a cadaver kidney because of my antibodies. They have to do these treatments and time them just right. That would have been impossible with a cadaver kidney. I would have never gotten one without the lovely lady who decided she would give one.
“When we told the whole family that it was time for me to get on the list for transplant, my sister-in-law immediately signed up to be tested. There weren’t any conversations. When they told her we weren’t a match, they shared with her the opportunity to do paired donation. She was willing to give a kidney so I could get one. She said she knew all along it was going to be her giving me this kidney, and she was doing it. She had no reservations about it. She’s awesome. She’s the best sister-in-law ever.
“It’s been scary for my family, but at the same time, a necessary thing. I watched my mother die when I was 19. I wasn’t ready for that. I didn’t want to leave my daughter, Brigitte.”
Mary Reed - 31
“It’s absolutely amazing that they can do this, that this chain is possible. It’s all due to the donors. They are the angels and the true heroes in all of this."