Woman's illness spawns donation

July 20, 2009

Courtesy Photo

Laurie Sears Deppa, who lives in Annapolis, decided to become part of Johns Hopkins Hospital's paired kidney exchange program, which links previously incompatible donors to patients in need

Laurie Sears Deppa had every intention of undergoing surgery to help an Edgewater woman in poor health.

But after months of testing, she learned that her kidney would not be a match for Jenny Cisneros, the 24-year-old whose health troubles have been documented in The Capital.

So Deppa, who lives in Annapolis, decided to become part of Johns Hopkins Hospital's paired kidney exchange program, which links previously incompatible donors to patients in need.

Deppa had surgery last month, and one of her kidneys was donated to a West Virginia woman she'd never met. Deppa is still recovering from the procedure, but is pleased she made a difference for someone, if not for Cisneros.

Once she has fully healed, she plans to pick up her regular exercise regimen and eventually announce her plans to run for mayor of Annapolis.

"I thought I'd have a good kidney. I don't drink or smoke and I'm pretty healthy," Deppa said. "Some people think I'm crazy ... (but) I just thought I'd help somebody, and what's more important than giving the gift of someone's life?"

Nationally, there are more than 300,000 people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In Maryland, 9,209 people are on the list, including 259 who have been added this year.

There are nearly 210,000 kidney donors available nationwide through the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, and that total includes about 4,300 in Maryland.

Cisneros is still awaiting a kidney, despite coming close to receiving a transplant at least three times before. Last year, a donor was found, but became ill and the transplant was later ruled out. This time, at least two candidates - including Deppa - went through a series of tests only to be ruled out as donors in the end. Her antibodies have been the problem, and now she's in Minnesota to see if doctors at the Mayo Clinic can help.

"I was so frustrated because all these people called in to get tested and none of them were a match," said Cisneros, 24. "'I was like, 'what's the problem?' and they said 'it's your antibodies.' So I Googled how to get rid of them and the Mayo Clinic came up."

Cisneros' troubles with her kidneys began in 2003, when she thought she had a touch of the flu. But her doctor ordered a full round of tests and she was eventually diagnosed with Goodpasture's syndrome, a disorder that weakens the kidneys and lungs. She was told that the disease would run its course through her body and not return.

After a treatment course of chemotherapy and steroids, Cisneros received her mother's kidney. But that too began to fail, and she also developed congestive heart failure and hypertension.

The Capital published a story about her health challenges in January. At that time, she was fully dependent on dialysis treatment, which is still the case.

"She'll act like everything is OK, like everything is fine and dandy, but it's really not," said Michelle Collett, a friend. "She's such a tiny little thing, and she'd like everyone to think that she's the strongest thing out there, but this has got to take a toll on the body. I don't know how many more years she can handle it."

Her friends set up a Web site, www.savejenny.com, and used billboards in the area to encourage people to get tested.

Potential donors get a blood test and urine test. If both are matches for someone who needs a kidney, they move on to a CT scan.

Deppa completed her rounds of testing, which included an X-ray, CT scan and blood work, in addition to the initial tests. She took a trip to Europe and believed she'd come back in time for Cisneros' transplant surgery. Instead, she learned that the donation couldn't move forward because there was a concern about Cisneros' antibodies.

But the experience has helped turn Deppa into an advocate for organ donation.

"The sad truth is that there are a lot of people out there who believe that if they become a donor ... medical personnel do not do everything they can to save their life; they'd rather harvest the kidney. We know that's ludicrous, Deppa said. "Maybe this will have good karma. I helped one person and maybe, in response, others will do the same."

For more information, visit www.savejenny.com. To be tested, call Athalene at Johns Hopkins Hospital at 410-614-6604.

This article posted January 3, 2010.

Woman's illness spawns donation

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