PHX Reporter

In Tucson, Arizona, Banner – University Medicine recently held a private event to honor living kidney donors during Donate Life Month. The event, conducted on April 5, celebrated those who have contributed to saving lives through the Banner – University Medicine living donor kidney transplant program.

The program, which emphasizes that every patient deserves a second chance at life, plays a crucial role in expanding access to transplants. It also performs paired kidney donations allowing recipients to receive organs despite biological incompatibilities. As stated by Venkatesh Ariyamuthu, MD, director of the program, “Living donation provides patients with a second chance at life and significantly reduces wait times.” He further highlighted the program’s goal to improve outcomes and raise awareness of living kidney donation.

Statistics from the American Kidney Fund show that, as of April 2024, there were 1,424 Arizonans on the kidney transplant waiting list, 16,804 living with kidney failure, and 5,558 living with a kidney transplant. Many individuals remain unaware of kidney disease until it has caused significant damage. Living donor transplants, which start functioning immediately, often result in better outcomes compared to those from deceased donors.

A notable case of living donation was shared by Georgie and Andy Rodriguez, siblings from Rio Rico. Andy, who had lived with kidney failure for 20 years, needed a transplant after his health worsened. Following a prostate cancer diagnosis and recovery, Andy was placed on the transplant waitlist. Despite his reluctance to accept family donations, Georgie was determined to donate upon discovering she was a suitable match. To ensure the transplant's success, she devoted a year to improving her health, leading to a successful operation in December 2023.

Reflecting on her decision, Georgie commented, "It gave my brother a whole new life," and stated that she has become an advocate for living donation. Her brother Andy expressed gratitude toward both his family and the Banner Health transplant team: "Was it easy? No, but my family and the Banner Health transplant team have made my recovery easy."

Interested individuals can register as potential living donors through Banner's registration webpage. Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and South are part of Banner – University Medicine, affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine. These centers are integral to Banner Health, which operates across six U.S. states.