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Who:
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Kidney transplant recipients Dale Jasko, Mary Rivero Morales, and Alana Gonzales; kidney transplant donors Jonathan Jasko, Omar Figueroa, and Gabriel Garcia; Giselle Guerra, M.D., medical director of the Living Kidney Donor Program, Miami Transplant Institute; Michael Goldstein, M.D., director of kidney transplantation, Miami Transplant Institute; Gaetano Ciancio, M.D., chief medical officer, Miami Transplant Institute; George Burke, M.D., chief of pancreas transplantation, Miami Transplant Institute; Jorge Caso, M.D., UM/Jackson urology surgeon; and Jose Martinez, M.D., UM/Jackson surgeon
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What:
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The Miami Transplant Institute at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center successfully performed the first three-way pair kidney exchange transplant in Florida. The surgeries, which involved three donors and three recipients, were performed simultaneously on July 9 at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
A paired kidney exchange or “kidney swap” occurs when a living kidney donor is incompatible with a recipient, and agrees to exchange their kidney with another donor/recipient. The paired kidney exchange program, which was recently launched at the Miami Transplant Institute (MTI), allows recipients to receive a better matched kidney, and helps speed up the process for other individuals who would otherwise continue to wait for a matched donor.
The Patients’ Stories
Since birth, 46-year-old Mary Rivero Morales suffered from chronic glomerulonephritis – a condition that affects the part of the kidney that filters blood and also causes blood in the urine. In addition, she suffered from chronic high blood pressure. In 2012, Rivero Morales’ condition worsened, causing her to suffer kidney failure. She immediately started receiving dialysis treatments three times a week, and was informed that she would need a kidney transplant. Her husband and brother immediately got tested to see if they were a match. “I was very worried and felt so much fear,” said Rivero Morales. “I didn’t want my husband or brother to get sick like I had been. I tried to convince them not to become donors.”
Unfortunately, neither one turned out to be the ideal match for Rivero Morales. She was then placed on the waiting list. That’s when they learned about the paired exchange kidney program at the Miami Transplant Institute. “I immediately knew I had to be part of this program,” said Omar Figueroa, Rivero Morales’ husband. “I wanted to save her life, and knew in my heart this was the best option for us to achieve that.”
Alana Gonzales, 36, was also dealing with a similar fate as Rivero Morales. At age 20, she was diagnosed with lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. She suffered health setbacks when she became pregnant in 2009, which included two flare-ups, high protein levels and kidney issues. Gonzales spent two months at Jackson Memorial Hospital, before she delivered her baby boy at 29 weeks via C-section. In August 2012, Gonzales began feeling tired and her blood pressure dropped. Doctors diagnosed her with chronic kidney failure stage 5, or end-stage renal disease, and told her she would need a kidney transplant. Her husband, Gabriel Garcia, was immediately tested, but was not a match.
However when Gonzalez and Garcia learned about the paired exchange program, they made the life-changing decision to participate. “I couldn’t believe I would finally find a match,” Gonzales said. “It was so incredible.”
Dale Jasko, 64, suffered from hypertension and diabetes, which lead to kidney failure. He spent a year on dialysis, while waiting for a kidney transplant. His son, 22-year-old Jonathan Jasko, wanted to donate a kidney to his father – but he learned he was not 100 percent compatible.
The best option for Jasko was the paired exchange program – not only would he get a lifesaving kidney transplant, but his son would still be able to save someone else’s life. “I’m very proud of him,” Dale Jasko said. “It’s been a very emotional process.”
On July 9, a team of transplant surgeons, nurses and other medical staff occupied six operating rooms at Jackson Memorial Hospital, simultaneously performing these three lifesaving surgeries. Each procedure was a success and all of the patients are recovering well.
During a press conference Thursday, for the first time, the recipients of the kidneys will meet the strangers who selflessly donated their kidneys and thank them for giving them a second chance at life.
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