PORTLAND, Maine — Sally French is very much looking forward to, in her words, "living again, instead of just trying to survive the day."
Sally was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease, which is hereditary. She started having issues with kidney stones when she was 50 years old.
As Sally and her husband Tim started talking about future treatment, the talk of a living donor transplant started. Having a living donor instead of a cadaver donor can speed up the wait time from years to months.
Tim went through testing over a 6-month period and found that while he was a match for Sally, it would not be a "perfect" match. The French's decided to take part in the donor exchange program through the Maine Transplant Program, which has been around since 1973 and is the only one in the state of Maine.
On Jan. 10, 2024, a "stranger" got Tim's kidney. Then, 20 days later, Sally received a healthy kidney.
Dr. Juan Vargas is the surgical director at the Maine Transplant Program and says nationally, about 15 percent of kidney donations are from living donors. In Maine, however, that number jumps to 50 percent.
For people who are considering being a living donor, it's important to note the program called Donor Shield. It picks up the uncovered costs that come with going through donorship, including paid time off from work to give the gift of life.