Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/214242
PAIRED DONATION EXCHANGE In a paired donor exchange, or kidney swap, two kidney recipients essentially swap willing donors. While medically eligible to donate, each donor has a blood type or antigens that are incompatible with their intended recipient. By agreeing to exchange recipients — giving the kidney to an unknown, but compatible, individual — the donors can provide two patients with healthy kidneys where previously no transplant would have been possible. doesn't know who received her kidney — but she knows that it saved that person's life, as well as Shattuck's life. Donating a kidney was not a difficult decision, says Gokavi, 50, who is "happily" single. "I prayed about it. I'm a Christian and believe in helping people. I enjoy good health. I felt like God directed me to do this, and I felt at peace with my decision." Her brother traveled from India to be by her side during the Jan. 8 procedure. She underwent laparoscopic surgery so doctors could remove her kidney through a small incision. The procedure is minimally invasive and allows for a quicker recovery period (about six weeks) for living donors. Shattuck's insurance company paid for the kidney removal operation as well as the transplant surgery that took place on the same day. Shattuck was thrilled to be able to return to school this fall and says he feels "fantastic." He has gotten to know Gokavi, and says she is now like a sister to him. Students sometimes ask about the transplant. They are told that yes, indeed, Ms. Gokavi gave Mr. Shattuck a kidney so he could return to school and not die. "People pass away every day while they are on dialysis," says Shattuck. "It's hard to You don't have to be a perfect match to be think about now. I didn't have much of a kidney donor. Colleagues Keith Shattuck a life. I felt like I just existed. I feel so in and Sunitha Gokavi became friends, then debt to Sunitha." family, during the transplant process. So does his wife, Delicia. "She affected his life, but she has also affected my life by giving me my husband back. In addition to helping me, she helped my parents, who were helping me take care of him. She helped students, Antibodies because now they are lucky to have a great teacher come back. It just goes on and on, who she's helped." The Shattuck family is hoping that sharing this story will create awareness of paired exchange kidney donations DONOR 1, TYPE O RECIPIENT 1, TYPE A with living donors, which can save Universal Donor lives worldwide. "My husband was on a transplant list for a deceased donor, but they had told us that it would be a nine to 10 year wait," says Delicia. "The average person on dialysis only makes it five years. Time was running out for us. So I want people to know that you don't have to be a perfect match to donate a kidney. Sunitha wasn't a perfect DONOR 2, TYPE A RECIPIENT 2, TYPE B match, but it still worked perfectly." CE PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT BUSCHMAN Educator 11 Nov 2013 v2.1 int.indd 29 NOVEMBER 201 3 www.cta.org 29 11/13/13 6:31 PM