Becoming a kidney donor as an adult could save a kid’s life

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Kids at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia are waiting for a life-saving donation. And you may not know it, but adults can donate a kidney to save a child.

We met up with Destiny Jackson. She was on the transplant list for a couple of years and shared her message of hope.

“After we got home, a couple of hours later, the doctor called my mom and said ‘you need to bring her back to the hospital. Her kidneys are failing,” she said.

After celebrating her 13th birthday, what Jackson thought was a stomach bug turned out to be advanced kidney disease.

“The doctor ended up telling my mom, ‘If you would’ve waited a little bit longer, a day or two, we wouldn’t have been able to save her,’” said Jackson.

Her kidneys were failing, and she was immediately put on the transplant list. She moved from Maryland to Augusta and started going to CHOG.

“Since I didn’t really have much of a social life, it was hard to communicate with doctors, but when it came to Children’s, they catered to me and my situation,” she said.

Less than a year later, a donor had been found for Jackson and she was able to receive a kidney transplant at 15 years old. CHOG is only one of two programs in the state of Georgia providing kidney transplants.

Dr. Asif Mansuri, pediatric nephrologist, said: “We want to grow and expand this program to make it a center of excellence, and all of the things wouldn’t be possible without the community’s support.”

Most transplants are performed using a deceased donor’s kidneys, however, more kids like Jackson can be helped if more living donors step up.

Dr. Ahmad Mirza, transplant surgeon, said: “The living kidneys last long, the complications are less. If you get a kidney from a deceased patient, the kidneys are equally good, as well, but our children have to be on the list for a considerable amount of time before a good match comes up.”

As for Jackson, her kidneys came from a deceased donor.

Right now, there are about seven kids under 18 on the transplant list at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

“Even though one life was taken, another one was reimbursed, so I do appreciate it from the family,” she said.

For more information and how you can donate, visit https://www.augustahealth.org/give/miraclemonday. To sign up to become a kidney donor, visit https://www.augustahealth.org/kidney-and-pancreas-transplant/donor-form.

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