March 1st was a big day for Sabrina. It was the day she went in for the first round of testing after finding out that she was a match to be a kidney donor for her sister April. Sabrina was filled with hope and anxiety as she underwent a series of extensive tests, including labs, urine samples, an EKG, an ultrasound of the kidneys, and a chest X-ray. Depending on the doner's age the requirements of the test may vary. She met with a social worker who explained the process and made sure Sabrina understood what was taking place. Then, she met with an RN/coordinator who walked her through the actual surgery, downtime, recovery time, risks, and how long surgery would last. She was informed that they preferred to take the left kidney if possible, as the right kidney would require a bigger surgery and longer recovery time. Ultimately the doctors would check both kidneys to see which was the healthiest and leave the donor with the healthiest of the two.

Next, Sabrina met with the living donor advocate who performed the same tasks as the others but was from a separate team to make sure Sabrina was okay and fully understood the process. The benefits of being a live donor were not lost on Sabrina. She knew that by giving her sister a second chance at life, she was also giving her a better quality of life.

Now Sabrina has to wait until the following week for the results. She is hopeful that everything would come back normal, so she can move on to round two, which involves meeting with the surgeons and getting a CT of the kidneys before receiving final approval for the transplant. 

But this journey is not just about Sabrina and April. It is also about shedding light on the importance of controlling diabetes, which was the number one cause of April's renal failure. Here at our office, Dr. Kish and her team pride themselves on educating their patients and providing thorough diabetic eye exams with state-of-the-art equipment. Every diabetic should be receiving a diabetic eye exam once a year, including dilation and scans of the retina. Diabetes is the number one cause of blindness in the United States, and Sabrina knew that firsthand.

April's journey has been a difficult one. A year before her renal failure started, she had begun experiencing vision changes. She stated that she was seeing a large spot that looked like a flamingo. Scans were ran and confirmed what she saw (as shown above). She was seen and diagnosed with diabetic hemorrhages, and Dr. Kish evaluated her and sent her to a retina specialist. However, albinism made treatment more complicated. Shots were the initial treatment, but lasers wouldn't work in her case because there was no pigment to laser to help with the bleeds. Dr. Shaw performed a few surgeries to help keep April's vision. However, a few months later, more symptoms started to arise other than vision issues. During the pandemic, April began to retain fluid, leading to multiple doctor visits and hospitalizations. After many tests and hospital stays, the diagnosis was finally confirmed: April was in renal failure. Sabrina watched her sister struggle, with over 50 pounds of fluid on her body and extended stays in the hospital for dialysis.

The first round of the donor process was filled with many emotions and thoughts for Sabrina. The entire team at Integris had helped answer all of her questions and put everything into perspective. Sabrina found that for her, the end result of giving her sister not only a shot at a normal life but also giving her children more years with their mom was what mattered most. While she would always be there for her sister and her children, she would never replace her, and that made the potential sacrifice all the more meaningful.

As Sabrina awaite for  the results, she couldn't help but feel emotional. She is hopeful for the next steps in the process and remaine committed to the potential life-saving gift she could give her sister. She knows that this is just the beginning of a long journey, but she is determined to see it through to the end. She will do whatever it takes to give her sister the gift of life, continuing the legacy of love and sacrifice that only sisters can understand.