Real Patients, Real Stories – Hear from an Emory Kidney Transplant Patient

By: Emory Transplant Center
Date: Nov 18, 2017

About Devin Gerald, a kidney transplant patient with the Emory Kidney Transplant Program, describes his experience growing up with kidney disease. Eventually, in his late teens, Devin’s kidneys started to fail, and he found himself facing dialysis. Devin looked for a living kidney donor for transplant and in stepped his aunt – Regina Kinnie. She was healthy enough to donate her kidney to Devin but there was a problem – her blood type didn’t match his. That’s when Devin and Regina learned about something called the Kidney Paired Donor Exchange Program. Hear their story, and how it has changed Devin’s life forever.

Emory Kidney Transplant Program

The Emory Kidney Transplant Program ranks as one of the most prestigious transplant programs in the country. Emory’s team of specialists are highly skilled in the care of kidney transplant patients and living donors. We will work with you every step of the way in your transplant journey.

Experience: Emory performed Georgia’s first kidney transplant in 1966 and has performed more than 5,000 kidney transplants to date – making us a top 10 leading national program.

Commitment to Transplant Research: Emory is at the forefront of kidney transplant research. Our physicians played a key role in the development of Belatacept, a drug that prevents rejection without some of the toxic side effects associated with previously available immunosuppressive agents.

Living Donor Program and Paired Donor Exchange: We offer a well-established living donor kidney transplant program, having performed more than 1,200 living donor transplants to date. Last year, our Paired Donor Exchange Program was ranked the second-largest paired donor program in the country through the National.

To learn more about the Emory Kidney Transplant Program, visit emoryhealthcare.org/kidneytransplant.

Nationally recognized transplant care

About Emory Transplant

As the third largest transplant program in the nation, Emory Transplant is relentlessly focused on smarter care and better outcomes — pioneering therapies and possibilities for our patients.

With more than 13,000 transplants performed to date, our team combines advanced expertise with meaningful connections, listening to your needs and helping you get back to the life you love. We are home to the largest kidney transplant program in the nation, and provide the latest innovation in heart, liver, lung and pancreas transplant surgeries.


Related Posts

  • Living Donor Day
    Learn what it’s like to be a kidney donor and save a life. Joe Johnson shares his personally rewarding experience at Emory.
  • A woman faces away from the camera looking toward a city street
    A study of kidney transplant recipients has shown the drug belatacept has a better record of patient and organ survival than the current standard of care.
  • Close of belly of a girl with liver transplant scars
    Emory Transplant Center performs its first HIV to HIV kidney transplant, made possible by the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act.

Emory Healthcare Pulse

For more stories and health and wellness tips, sign up for our monthly newsletter.

 

Sign Up


Recent Posts