Kidney Donation Unites Five Strangers in Three States

Jennifer (Jen) Figures’ path to receive a kidney donation almost sounds like the theme of The Brady Bunch. Jennifer met a willing donor named Katie Vreeland, but Vreeland wasn’t a match. A similar situation was happening in Panama City, Florida, where Cindy Rounds was eager to donate to Trey Timmins, her best friend’s husband, but they weren’t a match.

So, Rounds – in Florida, donated to Figures – in Michigan, and Vreeland, in Michigan — donated to a man in New York. The country-wide donation process was all pieced together through the National Kidney Registry’s Voucher Program.

“A donor donates their kidney, receives a voucher, and can give that voucher to a family member, friend or other loved one who may need a transplant in the future,” said Joel Stracke, DO, with the Mercy Health Kidney Transplant Center. “That family member, friend or loved one can ‘cash in’ on that voucher to have their name prioritized on the donor list, when they are closer to needing a kidney transplant. Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Kidney Transplant Center is the only kidney transplant center in the state of Michigan that participates in the National Kidney Registry. As more people learn about the benefits of it and donating early, we will see voucher programs become more common.”

For Figures, the introduction of the voucher program meant that even though Vreeland wasn’t a match for her – Vreeland could serve as her voucher donor to get Figures’ name prioritized on the donor list for when there was a match available. And after just a few short weeks, there was a match available through Rounds in Florida.

“I feel like I have two recipients — the one whom I donated for and the one who actually received my kidney,” said Rounds. “To know that something I initially did for someone other than Jennifer had such an enormous impact on her was truly a very humbling and wonderful experience. I cannot express in words the impact this has had on me; I can’t think about it without the tears flowing. If I had more kidneys to give, I would in a second. For me, I have felt God’s hand in this every step of the way and it’s just an unbelievable feeling knowing the He allowed me to help save someone’s life.”

A Lifetime of Struggle

Rounds’ kidney recipient, Figures, was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) three decades ago when she was 18 years old. Her dad had the disease, and it was passed down from his mother. Figures’ grandmother had 10 children, all of whom were diagnosed with PKD. Figures has gone through decades of ups and downs with hypertension, kidney infections due to cyst ruptures, and other daily ailments. The pain became so overwhelming that she had to have one of her kidneys removed at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in June of 2008.

Removing her right kidney helped some, but other issues came up – and in February 2011, Figures returned to Mercy Health Saint Mary’s to have her left kidney removed. Her need for a kidney donation became even more crucial, but due to a difficult antibody ratio, it was tough to find a donor match. She was incompatible with 98-percent of the population.

Then one day in early 2021, Figures met with her waitlist donor coordinator, Amber Dykstra BSN, RN, with the Mercy Health Kidney Transplant Center, and her hope changed.

“Amber was so excited and said, ‘Jenn, I think this is it,’” said Figures. “I went home that day feeling so positive. I told everyone about it. I got right online, signed up for the National Kidney Registry, filled out my profile, and shared it on Facebook. I really didn’t think it would reach many people but then my kids shared it and then their friends shared it. Before I knew it, over 5,000 people had seen my story. And on March 9, 2021 I received a Facebook message from a lady that wanted to donate.”

Born to be a Donor

Vreeland didn’t know Figures although they live just 20 miles apart. Vreeland saw Jennifer’s Facebook post from a mutual friend and felt motivated to donate, so she messaged her.

“I couldn’t tell you what inclined me to sign up that day, other than it just felt like an omen for me,” said Vreeland. “I signed up immediately and started testing within the next week. Six months later I was donating to another stranger on Jen’s behalf. I was bummed when I originally found out that I wasn’t a perfect match to Jen and I wouldn’t be able to donate directly to her, but I was excited to learn about the option of advanced paired donation so that I could donate when it was a good time for me, and Jen would still receive her kidney when she found her match.”

Vreeland and Figures have met in person and although they weren’t paired together for a donation – they still feel connected through the process.

“I get asked all the time why I made the decision to donate, and the truth is, I don’t think there is a flat answer. You’re either born with the willingness to share your organs or you’re not, and either way is fine,” said Vreeland. “I was born to be a donor, and I never questioned that in myself. I hope more people will consider going through the donor process, and I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to educate people just through simply sharing my story.”

World Connection Voucher Program

Through the Voucher Program, Vreeland’s kidney was donated do a 28-year-old man named Robin Fan in New York City. Fan was also a voucher donor after his mom donated on his behalf.

“Robin received his transplant because his mom was his voucher donor,” said Vreeland. “What’s incredible is that she came over from Beijing, China just to go through the testing and donation process for him. Talk about a mother’s love.”

Her surgery was performed at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s and then the kidney was transported.

“Donor surgery typically starts very early in the morning,” said Dr. Stracke. “As the kidney comes out, it is flushed free of donor blood with cold preservation fluid. This decreases the temperature of the kidney drastically and helps decrease the amount of damage to the kidney. The kidney is then packaged up in multiple sterile containers and shipped to the recipient’s hospital –- in Katie’s case it was transferred to a facility in New York. Being that her recipient hospital was across the country, a commercial flight was used. All means of transportation are planned ahead of time with the assistance of the National Kidney Registration personnel, and each kidney traveling has a special GPS tracker.”

Figures received her kidney from Rounds in Florida, but Rounds’ surgery was performed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and her kidney was sent from Rochester to Mercy Health Saint Mary’s. Figures’ kidney transplant was August 25, 2021 –- more than 10 years of being on dialysis, patiently waiting, and almost giving up.

Living Life to the Fullest

“I would tell anyone waiting for a transplant to not give up, and to trust the Mercy Health team and the process — it works. I wouldn’t pick any other team,” said Figures. “I honestly feel like the Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Transplant Team runs so smoothly and I trust everyone within the unit. From my coordinator, Amber, to the nurses and doctors –- Dr. Boelkins, Dr. Lobo, Dr. Stracke, and especially Dr. Legault — I have always been treated with respect. That team rooted for me and it felt good to see them as excited as I was when I received my transplant. They care, and my family and I could feel it and we appreciate it.”

Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Kidney Transplant Center is the only kidney transplant center west of Ann Arbor. It serves patients all over both the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan — not just west Michigan. In 2021, the center had the second highest volumes in the state of Michigan for kidney transplant recipients.

“Physically, I was surprised at how well I felt so soon after the transplant — almost like a new person,” said Figures. “Of course, I was sore from the surgery itself, but the nausea, headaches, and fatigue felt so much better. Emotionally I struggled a bit because it’s a new way of life, but today I am doing well and excited to have a new outlook and future. I am looking forward to things — enjoying time with my family and living life.”

The National Kidney Registry estimates that there are currently over 90,000 people across the United States in need of and waiting for a kidney. A new name gets added to this list every 10 minutes.

Figures, Vreeland, Rounds, Fan, and Timmins were five strangers just a year ago, but now through the National Kidney Registry’s Voucher Program, and the selflessness of the donors – they will forever be connected.

“It is really nice to hear that the process went so well for everyone, and that may inspire others to donate,” said Figures. “To know that there is the potential for other lives to change because the system was set up with the Voucher Program is amazing. As a recipient, I want everyone involved in the process to know how very grateful I am for that and that my life will never be the same.”

“I’m so thankful I donated. It changed my life forever,” said Vreeland. “Not in the way most people would expect, either. I didn’t change my diet other than my water intake; I didn’t change the way I live. It changed my life because it changed my heart. I look at the world through the lens of a donor. Someone willing to give a piece of themselves to change someone else’s life for the better. And it brings a sense of pride that I can’t quite explain. Not a boastful pride, but a thankful pride. I am so thankful I was able to do this.”

For more on the Mercy Health Kidney Transplant Center, visit Kidney Transplants | Mercy Health.