Living Donor Wanted
Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso Specialist and Borderplex Families Seek Kidney Donations
Dr. Ei Khin, the region’s only pediatric nephrologist, is raising awareness about live kidney donations to identify potential donors for local children
French fries are one of the guilty pleasures of youth – children love to snack on them.
Yet for the majority of his childhood, 4-year-old Nicolas was unable to enjoy the crispy, salty treats.
Nicolas was born with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), a rare disorder that affects 1 in 20,000 children. A fetus or baby with ARPKD has multiple cysts in both kidneys that may cause the kidneys to malfunction, even before birth.
Due to limited kidney function and high blood pressure, Nicolas had to avoid sodium-rich foods like fries, said his mother, Daniela Rodriguez.
“Food is something everybody enjoys, but for him it was low phosphorus, low sodium, low potassium foods – and just constant trips to the hospital since birth,” Rodriguez said. The family lives in El Paso. “He would get sick, and it was a trip to the hospital. If his electrolytes were not in order – a trip to the hospital. It definitely impacted his growth and his social skills because we had to keep him home.”
Nicolas and his mother, Daniela Rodriguez
Ei Khin, M.D., a pediatric nephrologist (kidney specialist) at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, makes it her mission to help children like Nicolas. She’s the only pediatric nephrologist in a 350-mile radius of El Paso and has been practicing here for over five years.
Dr. Khin knows a kidney transplant is the best way for certain children with kidney failure to improve their quality of life and increase their life expectancy. Children who have a kidney transplant live, on average, 30 years longer than those who remain on dialysis. She refers patients like Nicolas to a transplant center and is passionate about amplifying individual profiles for a living donor campaign to encourage donations for each patient.
Dr. Khin is promoting this campaign to reach more potential donors in our community so they may have the opportunity to save the lives of children like Nicolas.
Currently, Dr. Khin is treating two siblings with ARPKD, Gabriel and Valeria. Both are in need of kidney donations. She understands how difficult it is for parents to care for a child with kidney failure and the formidable task of finding a matching kidney donor.
“Their quality of life is not as good as healthy children,” Dr. Khin said. “They have to be on dialysis daily, take a lot of medications, they have poor heart and bone health associated with dialysis and their life expectancy is shorter. It’s very daunting for families.”
Chronic kidney disease among Mexican Americans nearly doubled between 2003‒2004 and 2015‒2016 according to Centers for Disease Control data. Researchers report that chronic kidney disease is more prevalent among groups with lower educational and income levels.
Nicolas’ journey to health and happiness
Nicolas’s story highlights the importance of organ donation. He was first referred to University Health in San Antonio for a kidney transplant evaluation when he was 3 years old.
Because his parents were not matches to donate directly, the family sought a living donor. After two unsuccessful attempts, the transplant clinic asked if Daniela would donate her kidney to another recipient in order to participate in a “donor chain” that involved seven donors and seven recipients. A kidney donor chain creates endless opportunities for recipient-donor pairings. It starts with an altruistic donor – someone who wants to donate a kidney out of the goodness of his or her heart. That kidney is transplanted into a recipient who has a donor willing to give a kidney.
Nicolas received his kidney, then within a month, Daniela donated her kidney to another person who needed one.
“No one wants to have their child sick or go through this,” Daniela said. “It's something that deeply impacted our family and his life. Getting a transplant has been a miracle. I can't even put it into words. His life has changed 100%.”
Dr. Ei Khin is treating two siblings with ARPKD, Gabriel and Valeria.
Nicolas’ diet also changed.
“He can eat French fries – all the fries he wants. Well, not all of them,” she said with a chuckle. “Within normal limits. He gets to enjoy food now. Ice cream was another big no-no because it had dairy, and its high phosphorous – all the things that he couldn't eat. Now, it's a nice treat for him to have.”
His quality of life changed in other ways.
“His energy is completely off the charts. Like a normal 4-year-old should be,” Rodriguez said. “He likes to play with his friends. He can keep up with his friends. Before, he would play maybe 20-30 minutes, and he'd be very tired, but now he can keep up.”
Although the experience had taken a toll on the family’s emotional well-being due to numerous medical appointments and the struggles Nicolas endured, the transplant was a blessing. Rodriguez now encourages people to participate in organ donation because of the lifelong impact it can have.
Dr. Khin wants to improve the lives of her patients through living kidney donations. Dr. Khin’s patients Gabriel and Valeria both need kidney transplants. Azael, another patient, went into kidney failure because his kidneys did not fully develop when he was born. He had a kidney transplant from a deceased donor nine years ago, and his life has improved. However, a living-donor kidney leads to the best outcomes.
The benefits of a kidney transplant from a living versus a deceased donor include a shorter wait time, a quicker recovery and improved long-term outcomes for a recipient.
Despite his challenges, Nicolas’s journey exemplifies how a successful transplant brings hope and happiness to families.
Help Local Children Get A Second Chance at Life by Becoming a Kidney Donor
Become a living donor by visiting UTCLivingDonor.com.
Seventeen people die each day while waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant due to a shortage of donors. More than 90,000 people are on the national kidney transplant waiting list. Over 3,000 new patients are added each month.
In Texas so far this year, there are 171 children under the age of 17 who are awaiting a kidney transplant.
Donors must be:
In good physical health.
Between the ages 21-70.
Willing to do all testing.
Able to understand risks.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Established as an independent university in the Texas Tech University System in 2013, TTUHSC El Paso is celebrating 10 years as a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research. According to a 2022 analysis, TTUHSC El Paso contributes $634.4 million annually to our Borderplex region’s economy.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, TTUHSC El Paso has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.