One family, four victories over kidney disease
Kidney failure was a way of life in Stacey Berti’s family but organ donation, and a reliance on “faith over fear,” led to the remarkable victory story for four members of the family.
The effects of polycystic kidney disease tinged most of Stacey’s childhood memories. Her grandfather was the first to develop the genetic condition in which cysts form on the kidneys and eventually destroy their function.
“Most of my childhood memories of my grandpa were of him being too sick to come to my birthday parties or basketball games,” she recalled.
Three of his five children, including Stacey’s mom, developed PKD. “I can remember on family vacations my mom rolling down the car window, tucking her large bag of solution in the top of the window and doing dialysis as we drove to the beach.”
As an adult, Stacey’s own PKD eventually limited her to her nursing job and resting, unable to take care of her home and children or attend church. She was placed on the kidney transplant list in July 2019.
“The uncertainty is like a cloud, always dark and closely above your head,” she said. “Will there even be a match? Will it come before I need dialysis?”
Stacey’s best friend started a campaign through their church to find a kidney donor which surfaced mom-of-four Tammy Armstrong. She and Stacey’s husband, Roger, began testing to be living donors.
While neither were a match, in February 2020 both were placed into the paired program, where the incompatible donor/recipient pair are matched with another incompatible pair. Each donor then gives a kidney to the other person’s intended recipient.
When COVID-19 hit the next month, all transplants stopped.
The months dragged until Thanksgiving, when Tammy and Roger were required to retest to remain as potential living donors. And Stacey was asked to provide a new blood sample for a stunning reason: Her and Tammy’s antigens and antibodies were becoming more compatible.
Remarkably, the two were a match and on April 9, 2021, Stacey received a donated kidney from Tammy.
“We both believe we are part of a living miracle. It’s just not possible to go from not being a match to being a match without the hand of God,” Stacey marveled. “We have leaned on the words ‘faith over fear’ throughout our entire journey.”
“But that’s not where it ends,” Stacey added. “Organ donation is our victory story.”
Stacey’s grandfather received a kidney transplant from a donor hero and “was able to attend many of my kid’s birthday parties and activities,” she said, adding that her mom recently celebrated her own 25th transplant anniversary and Stacey’s aunt received a living donor kidney from her youngest brother.
“The generosity of donors has taken my family from sadness and despair to thankfulness and joy,” Stacey said. “Each of us are eternally grateful to those who have so selflessly donated to improve the quality of our lives. Please consider changing a life today and becoming an organ donor.”