Teen donates kidney to save his mother’s life

TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. – Kebra Peebles is all smiles now however that wasn’t at all times the case. A uncommon kidney situation led to her present process dialysis and finally receiving two kidney transplants at SSM Well being Saint Louis College Hospital.

“Dialysis itself is so grueling,” Peebles mentioned.

Docs mentioned it was potential she wouldn’t survive beginning as a consequence of her situation, however Peebles was decided to not terminate two pregnancies. Little did she know that her son would years later donate his personal kidney to assist save her life.

“I might similar to to publicly thank my son for giving me life,” Peebles mentioned. She underwent the transplant in 2020 after her earlier transplant lasted 14 years.

“I began having issues, nevertheless it gave me 14 years of an exquisite life,” Peebles mentioned.

Kendall Henderson was 18 when he started to consider donating his kidney. He approached his mom with the concept.

“She was like, ‘No,’” he mentioned.

“I used to be in opposition to it as a result of he’s my son and he’s my child,” Peebles mentioned.

Henderson mentioned watching his mom endure dialysis prompted him to study extra about organ donations and finally determined to donate his kidney final yr.

“Seeing her cry day-after-day, I simply couldn’t see her like that,” he mentioned.

“I really feel nice now,” mentioned Peebles. “I really feel like new individual.”

Dr. Krista Lentine is a kidney doctor and the medical director of residing donation at SSM Well being St. Louis College Hospital. She mentioned residing donors usually result in higher outcomes for sufferers.

“Dwelling donors may also help bridge the hole between the necessity for organs and the organ provide,” Lentine mentioned.

She mentioned there are greater than 91,000 kidney individuals awaiting a transplant in the USA. She mentioned that quantity consists of 1,400 individuals in Missouri with a lot of these individuals residing within the St. Louis space.

Lenite mentioned a latest growth of a federal program reduces the monetary burden for residing donors. She encourages anybody in search of extra info to go to SSM Health’s Transplant Services online.

“Be taught extra about it and don’t simply say no,” mentioned Henderson. “Attempt to get extra info.”