Anonymous Kidney Donor Meets Recipient - Mike and Kate's Story
(Video from September 2013) Michael Martel had been on dialysis for 9 years and needed a new kidney. Kate Myhaver wanted to donate a kidney to a friend but it wasn't a match. Despite that, she moved forward being an altruistic donor, someone who gives an kidney to an unknown person, and Michael was the lucky recipient. Watch Michael and Kate meet for the first time and listen as Michael shares what it means to have someone donate a kidney "just because" and how it has given him a whole new chance at life.
To learn more about organ donation and The MaineHealth Transplant program, visit https://www.mainehealth.org/maine-med...
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
[ Music ]
I'd been on dialysis for about nine years and I'd been on the list for a kidney, but that's a shot in the dark as you know. I'm not always easy to find; you get it first time, last time. [music] This miracle happened where this lady was going to donate to a friend, I guess, and the friend didn't quite qualify and I was next on the list.
[ Music ]
What, what do you say? Thank you for someone that just changed your life completely? I mean, the words are not there, but I just want to let her know how much I appreciate this, because it's just been wonderful.
How are you feeling about meeting Michael?
Um, I don't know. A little emotional. [chuckling] I'm just praying he's doing good.
The altruistic donor, it's also known as a non-directed donor, is someone that comes forward to give a kidney just because they want to give a kidney. And that, that's really rare. Those people are amazing people. There are over half a million people whose kidneys have failed to the point that the only way they can stay alive is either with dialysis or a transplant. They can either be living donors or they can be deceased donors. Only about 50% of people that we actually put on a wait list for deceased donation ever actually get a transplant. The living donor kidneys, they work longer, they work better, they work with less medicine, you can time the transplant, you can even avoid dialysis entirely.
I was all tested, I was all ready, I guess I was a good candidate, so I said, "Let's do it." And they went to the Maine list and found a match. I'm really kind of surprised at how relatively simple it was and how good I feel. I mean, I don't feel bad at all, other than being tired. The staff was great. They were really good. I felt like I got really good care.
We have a tremendous team. When we round in the morning, you know, we'll be outnumbering the number of patients we have because we'll have transplant nephrology and transplant surgery and transplant pharmacy. People who have been here for a long time and transplant is really their life and their passion. And we think that makes for really the best type of care you can have.
Hey Michael, come on in.
Oh, he's coming in here?
[ Music ]
Hi.
Hello.
How you doing?
I'm doing good.
Michael, this is Kate.
I'm Kate.
Kate. [laughter] Bless your heart. Okay. Absolutely. [music]
You feeling good?
I am, are you?
I'm feeling great, and I want you to meet Mark too, because he's the reason I'm here.
Yes, I should see you. Thank you.
She actually got tested in order to give me a kidney, but she wasn't a match for me. I actually got a kidney in July so she said, "I've already gone through all the testing..."
Yeah.
"Might as well give it to someone."
Absolutely phenomenal.
I just knew that you know, I was blessed with good health, and I knew that this was something I could do. You know, there's so many things that we can't do anything about. You know, feel blessed that there is someplace that I could help.
All of a sudden, I'm not doing dialysis. I don't know what to do with my Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays now, because it's just, it's all new, you know?
My kidney served me well for many years so hopefully it'll keep chugging along.
Yeah. It's just a miracle, and everybody I've met is nicer than the person before. It's just wonderful.
[ Music ]
