Your neighbor is in need of a kidney
By Ashley Shah
Valerie Barr, a longtime resident of Scripps Ranch, needs a kidney transplant.
“I have been dealing with inherited polycystic kidney disorder almost all of my life. This disease, over time, will destroy your kidneys,” Barr said. “About a year and a half ago, I was told by my medical team that my kidneys were nearing the end of functioning.”
Barr was added to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) kidney transplant list in late 2024.
“A kidney from a deceased person or living person can work. The medical community recommends a living kidney. A living kidney is more willing to adapt to a new body,” Barr said. “It’s been hard to find a match. I have done a lot of outreach. A lot of people have expressed interest, but unfortunately no one has been a match at this time,” she said.
The average wait for a kidney for a San Diego resident is about eight to ten years.
“There are around 90,000 people on the waitlist for a kidney in the United States. Thirteen people die per day waiting for a kidney,” Barr said.
For those interested in donating a kidney, there are many options to register. Options can include contacting a transplant clinic or registering as a donor on the National Kidney Registry.
“There is a whole process to donating a kidney, but signing up is the first step. Donors have to fill out an initial health questionnaire. There is extensive testing to see whether the person will be a good candidate for kidney donation,” she said.
If the candidate has been found to be a qualified donor, they will undergo surgery.
“The surgery for the donor occurs at the same time as the surgery for the recipient. However, both people have their own medical team,” Barr said. “The insurance for the recipient will cover the out of pocket cost for both people involved. There is typically no out of pocket cost for the donor.”
Patricia Matthews, another longtime resident of Scripps Ranch, and friend of Barr, shared her experience as a kidney donor.
“I donated one of my kidneys to my husband around 13 years ago. I had some tests done to make sure I was a good candidate. We ended up being a good match, thankfully,” she said. “I had the surgery, and spent three days in the hospital recovering. I had follow up appointments for a few months with my medical team to make sure I was recovering well. Overall, it was an easy process with some pain. I would do it again if I could.”
Barr explained the struggles of her situation.
“It’s difficult to live like this. On a day to day basis, I get tired. I had to switch to working part time. You can’t really travel or plan things as well,” she said. “But, on a deeper level, you never know if your kidneys will fail the next day or in a year. It’s hard to live with such uncertainty.”
“I encourage people to do this as a way of truly changing someone else’s life,” Matthews said. “We are given two kidneys, one to donate and one to keep.”
For more information about this topic, visit www.unos.org/transplant, www.kidneyregistry.com or www.scrippslivingdonor.org.