Ana Arellano
Ana needed a kidney transplant, but family members weren't a match. Thanks to the living kidney donation program, she's celebrating with a new kidney.
Ana Arellano considers herself blessed after recently celebrating her 20th anniversary with her husband Carlos Certucha, her 17-year-old son Carlos and a new kidney.
Ana suffers from an aggressive form of Lupus and has been living with kidney complications for more than 15 years. Ana had a transplant 11 years ago in Mexico after her father donated his kidney, but just nine years later she desperately needed another transplant.
"It was really devastating. I knew my possibilities to find a match would be more difficult than the first time," she recalls, remembering her time waiting on the transplant list with no hope in sight. "I had so many people in my family willing to make a donation, but I was not a match."
Donation chain is lifesaver for Medical City Dallas patient
As Ana’s situation become more desperate, she and her husband learned about Medical City Dallas' living kidney donation program. Carlos, who was not a match for Ana, quickly agreed to donate his kidney to a stranger so that Ana could receive a new kidney.
"It was a miracle. We knew it was a risk we had to take," Carlos said. "And knowing somebody else needs that kidney, it touches your heartstrings."
The kidney paired chain — which covered thousands of miles, several cities, and involved 10 more patients — started with Carlos on August 10, 2012, at Medical City and resulted in Ana’s desperately needed transplant just four days later.
Medical City donor (8-10-2012) — 963 miles, University of Michigan Transplant Center in Ann Arbor Michigan — 968 miles, a North Texas hospital — 676 miles, OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria Illinois, Medical City Recipient (8-14-2012) — 671 miles
Less than seven weeks after the transplant, Ana was back at work as a human resources manager, a job she loves. And instead of merely celebrating her wedding anniversary, Ana went to dinner with her husband and son to celebrate life.
"It's weird to think someone you don’t know is going to give you a kidney," Ana said. "But we saved lives, too. I really want people to know about this program."