Father’s gift of a kidney to his daughter exemplifies Donate Life Month in April
More than 480 people remain on Sentara’s waitlist for kidneys
David Person was the second member of his family to be tested as a potential kidney donor for his daughter, Jessica. He was a match. “Once they said I matched, there was no hesitation,” Person recalled. “I said all along if I was a match, I’d do it no matter what. We’re family and we’d do anything for each other.” Jessica, 33, and David, 61, both live in Hampton, Va. and work at Newport News Shipbuilding. She’s a planner/scheduler. He’s a production manager for various trades with 44 years on the job. The path to donation took seven months while David demonstrated he could keep his hypertension under control. In the meantime, Jessica continued with nightly kidney dialysis at home after four kids – aged 13, 11 and nine-year-old twins – went to bed. It was Lupus, an autoimmune disorder, which caused her kidney failure. The news that her dad could be her donor was music to her ears. “It was exciting and scary, but I was ready for it,” she said.
David’s donation surgery was performed by Dr. John Malcolm with Urology of Virginia using a da Vinci Robotic Surgical System in December 2023. The minimally-invasion approach uses precision tools and a camera inserted through small incisions. The da Vinci organ recovery results in less pain and quicker healing for donors. “I went home the next day and used Tylenol for pain,” David recalled. “I ate normally almost right away and took it easy for a couple of weeks. It wasn’t that bad, really.” Jessica’s implantation was performed by Dr. Duncan Yoder, surgical director for the Sentara Transplant Center. He received David’s kidney and walked it quickly down the hall to another operating room where Jessica was under anesthesia and staged to receive her life-changing gift. By the time she woke up from anesthesia, her new kidney was making urine. Both David and Jessica are grateful for the support they’ve received from family, friends and their employer. They both say a support system and faith helped them through the process. “Be patient and reach out,” said Jessica. “People are more helpful than you think they might be." The Sentara Norfolk General Kidney Transplant Program transplanted 88 kidneys in 2023 and has performed more than 1,800 transplants since its inception in 1972. More than 480 patients remain on the waitlist for kidneys from either living or deceased donors.
By: Dale Gauding