“I’ve Got Two — Why Not Give One Away?”

Amy McKay, 52, was ready to face death.

She thought she wouldn’t live long enough for anyone to save her life because her doctors said she needed a “living kidney donor — stat!”

So in 2022, while waiting on the Michigan kidney transplant list, Amy traveled and spent time doing what she enjoyed, even though she felt miserable and thought she would die.

How She Reached that Point

Amy’s kidney disease resulted from years of diabetes, which “came out of nowhere and was severe from the start.” Because she is allergic to insulin, Amy was unable to treat or control her diabetes. After consulting endocrinologists across the country, she was told that the only way to control her diabetes was through gastric bypass surgery, which she had in 2021.

After the surgery, the good news was that she no longer needed insulin. The bad news was that she needed kidney dialysis.

The surgery revealed that Amy had Stage 5 kidney disease from the diabetes. Following surgery, Amy’s care team had to perform emergency dialysis by placing a temporary port in her chest. Due to the risk of infection, Amy could not continue to receive dialysis through the port, so her team placed a fistula in her arm for dialysis. When the fistula failed, she learned she couldn’t have a fistula in the other arm due to her small veins.

Amy was in despair.

Taking Action

Desperate, Amy turned to social media. She communicated with a man on a waiting list for a kidney, and he was able to have a kidney transplant because his wife had contacted the local media for help.

Amy was ready to advocate for herself. She couldn’t wait around for a match.

“In February 2023, I called a TV station and left a short message, and they called me back the next morning to be interviewed that day,” said Amy. “They aired my interview twice, and I got thousands of calls. It was the best decision I ever made because it saved my life.”

Scott Paniwozik — husband and father of three children — saw Amy’s story on his newsfeed. Previously, Scott had been tested to donate part of his liver to a stranger who needed it, but that patient received another liver donation.

Knowing he had the same blood type as Amy, Scott decided to contact her and offered his kidney instead.

“I’ve got two,” Scott said about his kidneys. “Why not give one away?”

While Scott underwent the months-long pre-op transplant testing that determines if people are a match, he gave Amy updates. He was determined to be Amy’s donor. “Once I got the ball rolling, I was not backing out,” said Scott.

Meanwhile, during those months, Amy’s situation was touch and go.

“When Scott called me and said, ‘Amy, it’s all green lights!’ I was so grateful,” she said.

Remarkable Results, Remarkable Care

Both surgeries took place on July 10, 2023. Adam Henke, MD, performed Amy’s and Joel Green, MD, performed Scott’s.

“Dr. Henke did such a great job. He is amazing,” Amy shared. “My kidney is working 100 percent and did from the start!

“I had spoken to Scott before the surgery, but I hadn’t met him. I first met him in person when he was ready to go home, three days after surgery.

“How do you thank someone who saved your life? We hugged, and we cried. I told Scott he was a godsend. I am so grateful. God did this. It is a miracle.”

Scott’s happy-go-lucky attitude about surgery served him well. “It was just another Monday,” said Scott. “I have a scar now, but it doesn’t bother me one bit. I just feel a bit of fatigue.”

Concerning his hospital care, Scott said, “Hands down, Trinity Health treated me and my wife with the utmost respect, courtesy, and kindness. It couldn’t have been a smoother process.”

Parting Thoughts about Organ Donation

By chance, Amy and Scott saw each other recently at a Gift of Life event and reconnected. At that event, a woman he had never met before gave Scott something to think about.

“She said to me, ‘Not only did you save Amy’s life, but you removed her from the waiting list and bumped up the people waiting. You may have saved another life.’ I never thought about that,” said Scott.

Before his original plan to donate part of his liver to a stranger, Scott had no idea he could be a donor. “I didn’t know anything about being a living donor,” said Scott. “I thought only deceased people were donors.”

Ultimately, Scott said, only you can decide to be an organ donor. “Don’t worry about what other people think. If you feel it in your heart, go for it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Amy is looking forward to “moving to Florida when my one-year check-up is over. And I want to give back — I want to volunteer on behalf of people waiting for transplants. I will tell my story to anyone who wants to listen.”

Amy’s parting thoughts are these. “I tell this to people who are waiting for a transplant: ‘You have to advocate for yourself. You can’t just wait for others to find you a kidney. You have to share your story and put yourself out there.’”

When it comes to speaking to potential kidney donors, Amy offered encouragement. “It’s the one time you can say you are a superhero and can save a life.”

To learn more about our Kidney Transplant visit TrinityHealthMichigan.org/Kidney-Transplant.