‘Why not?’ From advocacy to action, kidney donor pays it forward

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 16, 2024) — Tom Coleman of Louisville always knew he was part of a bigger plan. 

For years, he’s been an advocate for organ donation. His mother-in-law received a liver transplant in 1990, and he had friends who had been living kidney donors; the concept of giving a part of oneself to help another wasn’t unfamiliar to him. But it wasn’t until he and his family attended the Transplant Games in 2002 that he understood how impactful organ donation could be.  

“That was the first big introduction to organ donation for me,” he said. “Seeing the people, meeting some of the recipients, hearing the stories — it’s hard not to get involved after hearing some of those stories.”  

Tom became an active organ donation champion, attending every biennial Transplant Game with his wife to support organ transplant recipients, living donors and donor families who were part of Second Chance at Life/Team Kentucky. Seeing both recipients and donors lead such rich and active lives while engaging in friendly competition was inspiring.  He had always been interested in being a kidney donor, but thoughts of “what if” gave him pause.  

“What if my son needed it? What if someone else I’m close to needed it?” he said. “So, I just kept putting it off and putting it off.” 

In September 2023, that “what if” moment became a reality. When his wife Debbie was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer in her throat, incidental testing revealed she was in stage 5 kidney failure. Her diagnosis was a shock, as she had not shown any symptoms of kidney disease. With both kidneys damaged beyond repair, her only option was a transplant. For Tom, it was the sign he didn’t know he was waiting for.  

“I think there’s a bigger plan for me,” he said. “The fact that I didn’t donate years ago, I think there was a reason for it. That somebody knew something was going to come up.”  

The fact that no one in his wife’s family was a suitable match only strengthened his resolve. Tom contacted the Living Kidney Donor Program at the UK HealthCare Transplant Center and started the testing and screening process, anxious and terrified that he wouldn’t be a match either. 

He wasn’t.  

But Tom didn’t view this as a setback; it was an opportunity to pay it forward. Through their work with the Transplant Games, he and Debbie knew all about the National Kidney Registry (NKR), an organization that facilitates kidney transplants through living donors. If someone isn’t a match for their loved one, just as Tom wasn’t a match for Debbie, the donor can donate to someone on the registry and receive a voucher in return that can then be used by their original intended recipient.  

In short, one donates to a stranger in need on the transplant list, and in return, their loved one receives a kidney from another stranger on the living donor list. 

“This essentially creates a chain of donations through a complex matching algorithm,” said Rachael Benezet, transplant nurse coordinator in the Living Kidney Donor Program. The core function of NKR is the “voucher program” where a donor gives a kidney to someone in need and receives a voucher that can be redeemed by their chosen recipient for a future transplant. When the recipient needs a transplant, they are activated on the NKR waitlist, and the search immediately begins for a suitable donor within the network. If the recipient is not currently in imminent need of the kidney, then the voucher can be held for them to use when they are ready. 

The Colemans had an opportunity rarely afforded to those on the waitlist — they could wait. Since Debbie’s condition does not yet necessitate advanced treatment such as dialysis, Tom scheduled his donation so that he could be fully healed and recovered in time to help Debbie after her transplant.

On Oct. 9, Tom — anxious and excited but never nervous — underwent a nephrectomy, performed by Alexandre P. Ancheta, M.D. He had no qualms or reservations about his decision; he was joking with his surgical team that without his left kidney, maybe his golf swing would improve. After the surgery, Tom was warned about the potential of a high level of discomfort, but he found he only needed his prescribed pain medication for just a few days. He spent just one night in the hospital, where a memorable interaction reconfirmed his decision to donate. 

“As I was coming back from a walk, I was stopped by a nurse who was with a guy who was about my age,” Tom said. “She introduced me, saying I had just donated a kidney. This guy told me he was on his second kidney replacement and that he wanted to shake my hand. That meant the world to me.” 

Tom is now fully recovered and back at work. But he often thinks about his recipient. He doesn’t know anything about them, but he was told they were doing “amazing” — and that’s more than good enough for him. 

“That’s the most important thing,” Tom said. “I would love to hear from them and hear their story. But if not, as long as I know it was a success and improved their life, I’m happy with that.” 

The NKR algorithm is hard at work to find a suitable kidney for Debbie, analyzing blood type, tissue type and other medical criteria between donors and recipients to maximize compatibility. Based on these factors, it’s estimated that the NKR will find a match for Debbie within about four months.  

Two-and-a-half months after his donation, Tom reflects on his experience as a living donor and the decades of organ donation advocacy that informed his decision. And he couldn’t be happier. 

“Physically, I feel amazing,” he said. “I feel even better inside. I would never call myself a hero, but I’m very proud of what I did. I feel so much joy inside.” 

Benezet said there’s no better model for living donation advocacy than Tom Coleman.  

“Tom is deeply passionate and well-informed about living kidney donation and was unwavering in his determination to donate to his wife,” she said. “His commitment to donation and transplant is evident, and he aspires to inspire others by raising awareness about living kidney donation.” 

The UK Transplant Center works with an average of 45 living donors per year; this year, Benezet and her team facilitated 14 NKR donations, including advanced donors and paired exchanges; another eight patients are waiting to be matched up. As with all organ donation, the demand far exceeds the supply. 

“We encourage everyone interested, aged 18 years or older, to come forward for donation even if they are not a match for their intended recipient,” she said. “Through the NKR, we can find their loved one a living kidney donor and hopefully get them the transplant they need.” 

For anyone considering registering as an organ donor, Tom would ask them just two questions. 

“Why not? If you can help someone else or save a life, why not do it?” he said. “It was a no-brainer. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had an extra to give. For those of you on the fence, if your loved one needed one, would you take one?” 

Learn more about Second Chance at Life/Team Kentucky and organ donation, and how to support donors, recipients, and donor families.