I Was Going to Give My Son My Kidney, But Then Crisis Struck

By Mary Ellen Bianco


Dealing amongst 2 major life changing situations at in i lawsuit was challenging for Karen, but she had a rigid back upwards system. Photos yesteryear Patti Hartog 


In Jan 2013, Karen Reynolds was preparing to donate a kidney to her then-32-year-old son, Tommy, who was inwards renal failure. She was screened at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Program inwards Nashville. “I passed every test,” Karen says. “I was 62 together with real healthy, therefore the doctors didn’t intend it would last an number for me.”

Karen simply needed to possess got her regularly scheduled mammogram dorsum habitation inwards Louisville. That terminal 24-hour interval of the month started Karen together with her household unit of measurement on a journeying from despair to overwhelming joy.



During a manual exam, Karen’s medico felt a lump inwards her left thorax together with ordered an ultrasound. The resultant was a devastating diagnosis. “I was inwards Home Depot when the medico called to tell me I had thorax cancer,” Karen says. “I cried inwards the dorsum of the shop together with and therefore got inwards my auto together with cried to a greater extent than or less more.”

Karen says the hardest component division was having to tell Tommy she couldn’t last his donor. “He was awesome together with made it a lot easier for me,” she says.

The closed human relationship Karen has amongst her household unit of measurement helped her keep a positive mental attitude inwards spite of the challenges.  


After a consultation amongst a surgeon, Karen together with her husband, Tom, left the business office knowing she would possess got a mastectomy of her left thorax for ductal carcinoma inwards situ (DCIS), which is the most mutual type of non-invasive thorax cancer.

“It variety of set everything on hold. We were inwards a lot of turmoil at that point,” Karen says. “The fact that I had cancer seemed anti-climactic because of my describe organization for Tommy. I simply wanted to larn yesteryear it.”

On Apr 11, Karen had a mastectomy also equally the removal of axillary lymph nodes. She chose to set reconstruction on hold, together with the surgeon didn’t encourage it at that request due to the run a endangerment of infection.

The pathology was negative, together with in that place was no demand for chemotherapy or radiation. Karen was released from the tending of her oncologist. “My effect was the best I could possess got asked for,” she says.
As Karen recovered, the challenge was for Tommy to discovery a donor. The household unit of measurement knew what would last involved inwards the transplant physical care for because Tom had already had a kidney transplant inwards 2001 due to polycystic kidney disease, inwards which cysts make total upwards the kidneys together with gradually cut down function, leading to kidney failure. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 co-worker of Tom’s had offered to last tested together with donated his kidney when he was confirmed equally a match.

Tommy was diagnosed amongst the same inherited disorder when he was 10, together with at historic current 32, the transplant was the alone option. Tommy together with his married adult woman researched transplant centers inwards Chicago, Lexington, together with Nashville. Vanderbilt inwards Nashville was chosen because of the large number of successful alive transplants that are performed there. “Our son-in-law was on staff at Vanderbilt, therefore everyone was comfortable amongst the choice,” Karen says.

Tommy’s 3 sisters were unable to last donors, therefore they reached out to friends together with family. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few people had been tested but weren’t a match.

But promise arrived through the kindness of neighbors. Karen together with Tom were friends amongst the Ring family, who had lived inwards their neighborhood. The Rings told their boy Brandon virtually Tommy’s situation, together with although Brandon together with Tommy didn’t know each other well, Brandon offered to last tested. He was a represent together with volunteered to donate a kidney.

“Brandon was real brave together with selfless,” Karen says. “He is married amongst 3 children, together with we’ll ever last grateful to him together with his family.”

Six weeks earlier the transplant, Tommy had both kidneys removed together with went on dialysis. The successful surgical physical care for was performed on Dec 4, 2013.

Both Tommy together with Brandon had a large number of household unit of measurement members in that place to back upwards them. “I actually don’t possess got words,” Karen says. “It takes a real particular mortal to donate an organ. It gave Tommy his life back.”

The families larn together oftentimes together with brand certain to celebrate the anniversary of the transplant.

Karen feels optimistic virtually the futurity together with is grateful for her friendship amongst the Ring family. 


In 2014, Karen began the physical care for of thorax reconstruction together with completed it this March. “I actually hemmed together with hawed virtually doing it, but I’m glad I had it done,” Karen says. She together with her household unit of measurement rejoice inwards the fact that her wellness is good, equally is Tommy’s together with Brandon’s. “What got us through everything was the back upwards from our household unit of measurement together with friends,” Karen says. “Our organized faith helped us to confront these challenges.”

Karen takes comfort inwards knowing she together with her boy Tommy no longer demand to last preoccupied amongst wellness issues. 


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