Wisconsin resident Gavin Scudella had been sick for a long time and was facing a challenging health future as he received weekly dialysis and waited to receive a donor kidney. Kelly Haefs, his next- door neighbor and friend, made the decision to participate in the National Kidney Exchange, a decision which would change Gavin’s story by allowing him to receive a voucher for a donated kidney, one month after Kelly had donated her organ to another recipient.
Kelly shared her side of the story. “That Christmas, Gavin’s wife put on Facebook, all I want for Christmas this year is a kidney for my husband. That’s was enough for me to say, OK, who do I call?”
Gavin almost couldn’t believe it when he found out about his neighbor’s generosity. “It’s just overwhelming, how a person can be that kind. It makes you believe in mankind, and the goodness of people.”
Although they were neighbors, and Kelly was not a perfect match, her kidney donation, and eventual surgery, made Gavin’s life-changing story happen. And that was all made possible by the work of the National Kidney Registry and Living Organ Donation.Â
Dr. Rima Patel, from Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin, sat down with Kelly and Gavin on the Scaffidiology Podcast to share their amazing journeys and her expertise on the need for organ donors and how critical the need is for organ donation.
She stressed how important this decision is in making sure that patients with challenging diagnoses can receive an organ that could potentially safe their life.
“There is definitely a huge gap, waiting for a deceased donor transplant, people can wait, on average, three to five years. ” Dr. Patel said.
Over 30 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have Chronic Kidney Disease and almost 50% of those with reduced kidney function are unaware of it. There are currently 90,000 people in the U.S. waiting for a kidney transplant.
To listen to this conversation, check out the latest Scaffidiology Podcast at WTMJ.com, or wherever you get your podcasts.Â
Steve Scaffidi is also the host of the Political Power Hour on 620 WTMJ, which airs Monday through Friday, 9-10 a.m.