By Darlene Brace
Imagine how you would feel if you or a loved one were in desperate need of an organ transplant to stay alive. Finding an organ donor can be a daunting task, and it can be very frustrating and worrisome. More than 100,000 people are on the national waiting list for organ transplants, with the majority waiting for a donated kidney. While many people understand that viable organ donations can occur after a person has passed away, they may not realize that living organ donations are also possible, particularly for kidney and liver transplants. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), over 6,000 people received living donor transplants in 2023. Tragically, some people don’t get a donation in time. In fact, hundreds of New Yorkers die each year while waiting for organ transplants.
through the website from a woman named Diane
Bookhagen, who at the time lived in Springville,
and she was willing and able to apply to be a match
for Mitch. They met in Buffalo, and after some blood
work and testing, they found that they were indeed
a match. Shortly after that, they proceeded with the
surgery, during which Diane donated one of her
kidneys to Mitch (pictured).
Living organ donations involve a person donating an organ or part of an organ for transplantation while they are alive and well. The most common type of living organ donation is for kidneys, but donors can also donate part of their liver, skin, bone marrow, or blood-forming cells. Most living donors typically donate one of their kidneys or a portion of their liver. There are important advantages of living organ donations, including reduced wait times for recipients who are in urgent need, a higher likelihood of positive outcomes, and the ability of living organ donors to be able to choose who will receive their organ.
Numerous national organizations assist with live organ donations, such as UNOS, Donate Life America, and the National Living Donor Assistance Center, among others. In Chautauqua County, we are fortunate to have local organizations and foundations that also support live organ donations. One such organization is called Kidney Connection.
Kidney Connection was founded by Jamestown resident Jeanette Caprino (our publisher, Jeanine Caprino Zimmer’s aunt). In 1994, Jeanette’s son Paul Cardinale needed a kidney transplant, and he was fortunate to receive a kidney donation from his father. However, in 2005, when he needed another kidney, Paul and Jeanette knew that no other family members matched as donors. Paul and his mother looked on national websites for potential matching donors. At that point in time, they found out that people in New York State were not allowed to accept organ donations from strangers and could only be from family members. Paul waited for months in hopes of finding a donor while undergoing dialysis three times a week.
Out of great concern for her son, Jeanette actively lobbied to change the policy so that strangers could become living kidney donors. She attended numerous meetings and talked to committees to advocate for her son and others in the same situation. This involved months of discussions and deliberations, but with Jeanette’s dedication and persistence, eventually this policy was changed.
In 2006, Paul was finally successful in finding a kidney donor through a national website called matchingdonors.com. Through this national platform, Paul received a kidney from a man in Alaska named William Thomas. Although her son was receiving the kidney he needed, Jeanette wanted to continue to support those in her community who were still fighting this battle. She decided to help others needing kidney transplants by creating an organization called Kidney Connection.
Kidney Connection is a nonprofit charitable organization that assists in connecting people in our area who need kidney transplants to people who are selflessly willing to be donors. Kidney Connection helps connect individuals who live in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania. The website, which is kidneyconnection.com, is free of charge for users. People needing kidneys can create a profile to share their stories and connect with possible donors. The website is a valuable tool, and to date, it has facilitated seventeen successful live kidney transplants between strangers. With it being a local organization, the recipients and donors all live relatively close, so there are not as many travel expenses. With this concept in mind, the organization’s motto is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” It is truly a blessing that Jeanette created this website. It has helped find donors who are good, altruistic people who feel empathy and compassion that inspires them to want to help save the lives of others that they don’t even know.
One such case of the Kidney Connection’s effectiveness in connecting recipients and donors is that of Jamestown resident Mitch Stone. In 2012, after a year of waiting for a kidney transplant, he became part of the Kidney Connection. He received a message through the website from a woman named Diane Bookhagen, who at the time lived in Springville, and she was willing and able to apply to be a match for Mitch. They met in Buffalo, and after some blood work and testing, they found that they were indeed a match. Shortly after that, they proceeded with the surgery, during which Diane donated one of her kidneys to Mitch.
Mitch gratefully shared his sentiments, saying, “Diane is not just my kidney donor. We have become good friends for life. Without her, I don’t know what would have happened. Diane gave me a second chance to spend precious time with my family and to see my grandchildren grow. I hope that this article may inspire others to consider donating their organs to help others in need.”
Diane has since moved to Buffalo to be closer to her own grandchildren. When Diane was asked about her experience of being Mitch’s donor, Diane stated, “It was an amazing experience. People should be aware of living donor programs like the Kidney Connection and that it is possible to be happy and healthy with one kidney. Mitch and his wife have become lifelong friends with me and my husband. We are all Bill’s fans, and sometimes we meet for lunch to talk about football. If I had another kidney to give, I would gladly do it all over again. Seeing Mitch return to good health was incredibly rewarding for me, and it has been very gratifying for me to see him spend time with his family.”
Aside from organizations like Kidney Connection, there are various ways for people to connect regarding living organ donations. One such donor is Kristy Carder, a 44-year-old woman who is a resident of Gerry and is the general manager at EBC in Ellicottville. She is a working mother of four children and has four grandchildren.
One evening near Christmas of 2024, Kristy ran into an acquaintance named Steve, who resides in Kennedy. As they chatted, she noticed Steve appeared to be very unwell. During their conversation, he revealed that he was looking for a liver donor. They talked for a bit, and she expressed interest in donating a portion of her liver, knowing that the liver can regenerate itself. The next day, she reached out to him for a serious discussion, during which time he sent her a link to UPMC for testing to determine if she was a suitable match.
Kristy was found to have O-negative blood, which means she could donate to anyone. After completing all the necessary tests to ensure she was a good candidate, it was confirmed that she was a match. Kristy will be having surgery on March 17, 2025, to donate 60% of her liver to Steve.
When asked why she chose to donate, she simply said, “Why not? Why not do this to help someone else, to save someone’s life, and improve their quality of life! It’s just something that I wanted to do.” Steve was extremely thankful and told Kristy that she was his “Christmas miracle” during their discussions back in December. Let’s hope that the luck of the Irish will be with them on St. Patrick’s Day when Steve’s liver transplant surgery takes place. Let’s wish Steve and Kristy the best of luck.
Unfortunately, some people are not as lucky as Paul, Mitch, and Steve. Each year, thousands of people who are seriously ill are on waiting lists to receive organ transplants. Many individuals hope to donate their organs upon their death but living organ donations are also crucial for helping more people now, with increasingly better outcomes for the recipients. In a world that sometimes seems chaotic and with some negative elements, it’s heartening to know that there are still altruistic people who are willing to donate organs, whether it be to a loved one or a stranger.
If you’re thinking about becoming a living organ donor, it’s essential to be in good health, be at least 18 years old, and connect with a compatible match. Many organizations and foundations can assist in connecting donors with recipients in desperate need. If you require a kidney or another organ, consider exploring online resources like the Kidney Connection, which has made a profound impact by saving many lives. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Jeanette Caprino, you can access the Kidney Connection’s free website (thekidneyconnection.org), where “Neighbors Help Neighbors” in this important effort to save lives.