Missouri teen donates kidney to save his mother’s life

TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. (KTVI) – Kebra Peebles is all smiles, however that wasn’t all the time 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.

Docs stated it was attainable she wouldn’t survive giving start resulting from her situation, however Peebles was decided to not terminate her two pregnancies. Little did she know that her son would years later donate his personal kidney to assist save her life.

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

“I began having issues, but it surely gave me 14 years of an exquisite life,” stated Peebles.

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

“She was like, ‘No,’” he stated.

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

Henderson stated 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 on daily basis, I simply couldn’t see her like that,” he stated.

“I really feel nice now,” stated 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 stated residing donors typically result in higher outcomes for sufferers.

“Dwelling donors might help bridge the hole between the necessity for organs and the organ provide,” Lentine stated.

She stated there are greater than 91,00zero kidney individuals awaiting a transplant in the US. She stated that quantity consists of 1,400 individuals in Missouri.

Lenite stated a current enlargement of a federal program reduces the monetary burden for residing donors. She encourages anybody in search of extra data to go to SSM Health’s Transplant Services online.

“Study extra about it and don’t simply say no,” stated Henderson. “Attempt to get extra data.”