MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In a milestone moment for WVU Medicine, the WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance successfully performed the Health System’s first-ever living donor kidney transplant on Tuesday. This groundbreaking surgery offers renewed hope for patients battling kidney disease and expands access to life-saving treatment options within the state.
The transplant required extensive planning and preparation by a team of highly skilled transplant surgeons, nephrologists, nurses, clinicians, and support staff.
Erika Reid and Karen Orndorff, both of Winchester, Virginia, have known each other since childhood. After growing apart in their teens, they reunited when Reid was the secretary at Orndorff’s daughter’s middle school.
“Her daughter is a very outgoing young lady who made relationships with whomever she met,” Reid said. “She, to this day, was one of my favorite students that I had the pleasure to get to know. I saw Karen when she would come to the school for school functions or to pick up her daughter.”
In late 2021, Reid noticed swelling under her eyes and in her lower legs and feet. She contacted her doctor, who sent her for blood work, which showed that her kidneys were not functioning normally. For the first year and a half after her initial diagnosis, she managed her condition by changing her diet and had regular blood work to monitor any changes.
In early 2023, her symptoms worsened, causing her to swell and feel unwell. She was admitted to a local hospital for 13 days and was placed on dialysis due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and hypertension that caused scarring in her kidneys. The treatment helped Reid for a while, but she developed pancreatitis and spent more than 30 days in the hospital. As a result, she was placed on the list for a kidney transplant.
Reid didn’t have to wait for a kidney to become available, though. When a mutual friend sent Orndorff a Facebook post from Reid asking for people to be tested to see if they were a match, she reached out to Reid to find out how to help.
“I guess I’m a little humble,” Orndorff said. “I just felt like it was the right thing to do. She needed help, and I could help her.”
Orndorff’s results showed that she was a match for Reid.
“Karen is proof that there are angels among us,” Reid said. “She’s a strong, selfless woman. I will never be able to put into words what this means to me. I am a firm believer that every person who comes into your life is there for a reason. She’ll now be part of my life forever.”
Rajeev Sharma, M.D., WVU Medicine and Transplant Alliance Kidney Transplant Program surgical director and lead surgeon for both laparoscopic nephrectomy and living donor renal transplant; Guilherme Costa, M.D., WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance transplant surgeon; and Nova Szoka, M.D., WVU Medicine surgeon, successfully transplanted Orndorff’s kidney into Reid. Both are recovering well and can expect to go home in two-to-four days.
“This is a truly historic day for WVU Medicine,” Dr. Sharma said. “By offering living donor kidney transplants, we can significantly improve the lives of patients waiting for a donor organ. Living donor transplants often result in shorter wait times and better long-term outcomes for recipients.”
Living donor kidney transplants offer several advantages over traditional deceased donor transplants, including shorter wait times for transplant, better long-term outcomes, and an enhanced quality of life.
The successful completion of this first living donor kidney transplant marks a significant step forward for WVU Medicine’s transplant program. The program is committed to providing comprehensive transplant services, including pre- and post-operative care, for patients with end-stage kidney disease and other life-threatening conditions.
“We are thrilled to offer this life-saving option to our patients,” Rachelle Zomak, R.N., M.S., C.C.T.C., WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance director of operations and compliance, said. “This achievement underscores WVU Medicine’s dedication to providing advanced medical care and improving the health of our community.”
To learn more about the WVU Medicine Transplant program, including living donor kidney donation, please visit WVUMedicine.org/Transplant or call 304-974-3004. To register as an organ donor, visit RegisterMe.org/WVUMedicine.
