Denan receives kidney through the donor exchange program

Deneen’s husband, who was listening to the conversation, reminded them why she was doing so much better: She had spent about 75% of her time between 2019 and 2023 in the hospital.

Indeed, Deneen was sick for a long time before she received the gift of life. After giving birth to both of her children, she was diagnosed with Alports syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the kidneys, eyes and ears. In April 2019, she was admitted to the hospital thinking she had a breathing disorder. In reality, her doctor said, her kidneys were failing.

Deneen started peritoneal dialysis (PD) in December 2019 after her kidneys had plummeted to 5% function. PD is a method of removing waste and excess fluid from the blood while a patient remains at home. It can be a good option for patients who need to undergo dialysis for a long time, because they can retain more independence.

Deneen underwent PD for two and a half years, but then she had to switch to hemodialysis—a method of filtering the blood that requires a visit to a dialysis center several times a week. “I went back and forth between PD and hemodialysis,” Deneen said. “Then, I got diverticulitis, and at one point in the whole process, I suffered a mini stroke.”

In the meantime, Deneen was searching for a more permanent solution to her kidney problem—a living kidney donor. Several friends offered to get tested as potential donors, but they didn’t want to be part of a kidney exchange in which their kidney would go to someone else. Then, in February 2022, Deneen’s husband’s college friend Kurt Kalliomaa offered to undergo testing.

“Both my cousin and his wife anonymously donated their kidneys 25 years ago,” said Kurt. “I just always remembered that, and it was meaningful to me. I’m a faith-based guy. The whole concept of supporting and helping your brothers and sisters is just part of what I believe.”

Kurt underwent testing at a hospital near his home in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. He was cleared to donate, but he wasn’t a match for Deneen. So, Kurt and Deneen entered the donor exchange. One bonus of Kurt not donating directly to Deneen was that while he was working with caregivers at UW Health throughout the process, he didn’t need to travel to Wisconsin to donate. Instead, UW Health arranged for him to donate his kidney at his home hospital.

The two went into surgery on the same day, nearly 900 miles away from each other. Their loved ones were checking in with each other throughout the day and over the next week.

At University Hospital in Madison, Deneen said, “I felt so cared for. The nurses were amazing, and so were the transplant doctors and the cardiologist. I can’t say enough about the transplant team.”

From Deneen’s perspective, Kurt’s donation was the miracle she needed. “I’m able to do so much more than I was when I was on dialysis,” she said. “I now say I have two angels—Kurt and the person whose kidney I have.”