A team like no other
Kayla credits her daughter's success to the transplant team, Dr. Gomez Mendez, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and Inslee's entire ECU health team. “They’re all phenomenal,” she said. “They were very upfront and honest that this was going to be a difficult and time-consuming surgery, but hearing their plans made me feel confident that we were in the best hands. If anyone could take it out and transplant it, it was this team.''Jenny felt the same way. This makes you feel like it's a family and they're all on the same page and it shows. The morning of my surgery, I felt safe and at peace. ”
Dr. Leeser also had a lot to say about the knowledge, skills, and teamwork of the ECU Health transplant team. Romine is the director on the donor side and has been instrumental in growing our program over the past six to seven years, increasing the number of procedures from about 80 to 130 to 160 per year. And Dr. Gomez Mendez comes to us from the University of California, San Francisco, which is one of the best hospital systems in the world for transplants. She is very intelligent and understands the psychology of surgeons. She is a big reason why Inslee's family wanted to join ECU Health over anyone else. ”
Together, Dr. Rieser said, this team is always focused on patient care and will address any issues. “We need doctors who push and test each other. Our team debates passionately. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we get nervous, but at the end of the day, we're all in this together. ''It involves everyone, including administrators, surgical coordinators, social workers, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists and countless others, he said. “This work requires a lot of support. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), we meet regularly with nurses and administrators and have built strong relationships with our colleagues in the PICU. , we learned how to work together to give our patients the best we can.”
Dr. Romine agreed, citing the unique nature of their team. “We're doing what large systems are doing with fewer resources, and that's only possible with teams that agree on the goals,” she said. These services are particularly important because they provide critical services to communities in need. “One of the things I'm proud of is that a lot of patients who have such great medical need and would have to go to other hospitals don't have to. I like that it gives me access to care that I didn't have in my program.”
This teamwork has resulted in positive patient outcomes, including in Inslee's case. “She went home after five days in the hospital and is doing very well,” Dr. Rieser said. “When you have kidney failure, you don't feel well and food doesn't taste good, so before the surgery, Inslee wasn't eating much. Inslee is now able to enjoy some foods,” Kayla said. They've also noticed changes in Inslee's quality of life. “When you look at Inslee and know her story, you understand how much she and our family have suffered. While on dialysis, you can't go swimming or go to the beach or even actually take a bath. “We're going to the beach this weekend to celebrate Jenny and her family,'' Kayla said, which people take for granted but is now very special. .
life saving gift
These little things would not have been possible without generous donors like Jenny, Inslee's first kidney donor, and the National Kidney Registry. “We want to raise awareness about organ donation, not just after someone passes away,” Kayla said. “Living donation allows you to give a part of yourself while you're still alive to save someone. As a nurse and the mother of a transplant patient, the importance of organ donation has never been more real. 'Jenny was also keen to talk about her experience so others could consider doing the same. “If anyone is in doubt, I'd be happy to talk to them. It's important to have a living donor.” Dr. Leeser emphasized that the National Kidney Registry is a great place for potential donors to explore their options. did. “Some people may want to donate to a family member, so we put them on the registry. Even if they are not a match, they can still donate a kidney to someone who needs it. , eligible individuals will receive a voucher and will be able to receive a kidney from a matching donor on their registry,” Dr. Gómez-Méndez also said, adding that a kidney donated by a living donor is less likely than a kidney donated by a deceased donor. We wanted people to know that it performs better than it does. “The only way for Ms. Insley to get the best outcome was through a living donor,” she said. “A living kidney lasts longer than donating a deceased kidney.” According to the National Kidney Registry website, the average lifespan of a kidney from a deceased donor is 10 to 15 years; For kidneys, this is closer to 20 to 40 years.
Thanks to the gift of Jenny's kidney and the hard work of Dr. Rieser, Dr. Romine, Dr. Gomez-Mendez, and many others on the transplant team, Inslee now has the chance to live a normal life. . “I'm so happy to be at the point where Insley's kidneys are fully functional. It's been a long battle, but I'm glad to see her thriving and growing from such a young age,” Gomez said. Dr. Mendez said. Kayla credits Inslee's success to the care he received from ECU Health. “I would recommend ECU Health and Children’s Hospital to anyone,” she said. “Watching her grow and thrive from an unhealthy quality of life is more rewarding than anyone could ask for,” Dr. Rieser said of the work Insley and other patients have built over the past seven years. He is quick to credit the program and team for his success. “I’m very proud of this program,” he said. “We claim to be the best program in the state for kidney transplants, but we are looking to do more.”
If you would like to learn more about how to donate a kidney, please visit: https://www.kidneyregistry.org/or to learn more about ECU Health's transplant services.
