LOUISVILLE, Ky. — April marks Donate Life Month, an effort to educate people about organ donation and encourage them to sign on as donors.
UofL Health's Dr. Lina Mackelaite said there are around 90,000 people currently on the transplant list for a new kidney. In 2021 though, only about 25,000 were able to get a transplant.
She said 14 people die every day while waiting on the list.
Mackelaite said because there are so few donors, it's important, and easy, for people to sign up. Additionally, people can function with just one kidney, so a living donation is also an option.
“It takes so little to sign up to be a donor and, really, I don’t know any reason why everybody shouldn’t be a kidney donor," she said.
Patients like siblings Brian Seibert and Brenda Hoefling encourage donation too.
“The only thing I can say is sign your license and be a donor," Seibert said.
Seibert and Hoefling have a genetic kidney disease. Several other people in their family have it and have gone through transplants.
Seibert had his first kidney transplant in his 20s and lived with that kidney for years. He had to go back on dialysis several years ago, which meant four-hour appointments three times a week.
"It kind of gave up on me and I started dialysis and was on dialysis for five and a half years," Seibert said.
Hoefling learned she had kidney disease in her 30s. She ended up on the transplant list as well, later in life.
“Well I just kept praying he would get one before me, I didn’t want to get one before him because he needed one more than me," she said of her brother.
In December, after a year on dialysis, Hoefling got the call that there was a kidney for her. But not before Seibert got his own call, in September.
“She asked me some questions and said 'How far are you out' and I said 'Two and a half hours,' and she said 'Better get on the way, we got one for you,' so it was pretty nice," he said.
The siblings are now well on the road to recovery. They travel to UofL from Indiana, and book their checkups together, as a built-in support system.
“We kind of feel like we’re part of the family," Seibert said. "They know us when we walk in, I tease them and give them a hard time.”
After years of dialysis appointments, Seibert said he's looking forward to living a full life. Hoefling, who did dialysis from home, added she's looking forward to a vacation free from medical equipment and worry.
For more information on organ donation and joining the donor list, click here.
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