Coronavirus pandemic has major effect on local organ donor waitlists

SAN ANTONIO – Maricela Sanchez is at stage five renal failure.

“Just because physically, I don’t look like I’m sick, I’m ill and,” Sanchez said. “I’m ready, I’m ready to be blessed.”

This summer will mark her fifth year on the organ transplant waitlist.

Sanchez, the mother to a 20-year-old and recently adopted three-year-old, says she’s lucky to be able to do her dialysis at home with her family.

“I pushed myself to get on the floor with my baby to run around with him,” Sanchez said. “But there are days that physically, my body, I’m just very exhausted.”

She said time is ticking for her transplant surgery with University Health’s Transplant Center.

Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, the living donor kidney transplant surgical director at University Health, says the mortality rate for kidney disease is higher than some cancers as nearly 50% of patients die within five years.

Thomas says that as many as 20 people can die a day waiting for a kidney. Currently, there are almost 100,000 in the country waiting and only about 1,500 kidney transplants from deceased donors happen a year.

“Literally a living donor can pull a patient out of that waiting line and give them all the benefits of a kidney transplant much, much sooner than they would by waiting for a deceased donor,” Thomas said.

According to Thomas, there’s been a big push to register people to become living donors by University Health Transplant Center.

In 2018, 1,107 people registered with University Health for the program, which was an increase from the 764 people who signed up in 2017.

In 2019, the numbers climbed higher to 1,327, however, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the signup numbers decreased to 914.

Additionally, University health officials said, a person registering for the program does not always mean that they become donors.

Healthy people between 20 and 70-years-old are encouraged to register for the program. Donors decide if they want to donate to someone they know, to someone in the area or nationally. Living donation doctors say the procedures are healthier and can give recipients even more time to live.

Sanchez says a donation for her would mean more time to see her sons reach important milestones.

“Why not sign up to be a living donor and help somebody while you’re alive and get to enjoy being a part of their lives, making a friendship, maybe even being part of their family?” Sanchez said.

To register to see if you’re a match for Sanchez or someone else, take a 5-minute questionnaire.

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