Each playing a role in a larger picture of human kindness

By Kris Goracke

Reporter

In a remarkable tale of compassion, sacrifice, and interconnectedness, three strangers intertwine their lives through the common thread of kidney transplants. This story unfolds like a crafted narrative, with each character playing a vital role in a larger picture of human kindness.

The Selfless Donor

Bill Mollenhauer of Villard began his journey of altruism in 2011 when he noticed stories about people in need of a kidney. Moved by their stories, he explored the possibility of becoming a donor despite not having a specific recipient in mind.

Mollenhauer started with an appointment at the University of Minnesota, where he underwent physical and psychological testing to see if he would be a potential kidney donor candidate.  

According to the American Journal of Transplantation, “At the University of Minnesota, we have defined ‘non-directed donation’ as organ donation by a volunteer who offered to donate an organ to anyone on the cadaver waiting list.”

The university’s policy is as follows: “If the candidate’s written medical history and local laboratory results are acceptable, he or she must come to the center for a complete medical and psychosocial evaluation. The candidate meets with an independent donor team (surgeon, nephrologist, coordinator, clinical social worker, and psychologist). The psychosocial evaluation of the potential NDD is more extensive than that for directed donors. The social worker and the psychologist assess each NDD candidate’s psychosocial stability, ability to comprehend information, and reasons for donating. The psychologist also gives the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), a widely used standardized diagnostic instrument, to each NDD candidate.” 

In addition to health and psychosocial concerns, motives for donating are explored to better understand what influenced the candidate’s desire to donate to a complete stranger. The university assesses whether the decision to be a donor was made impulsively and whether there are any unrealistic or ulterior motives (e.g., individual or societal approval, compensation, atonement, redemption, media attention); in such instances, the offer would be declined.

The university questioned Faye, Mollenhauer’s wife, asking if this act of kindness was typical of his nature.  “I told them yes, this is very much of who Bill is,” she said.

Following the physical portion of the testing, “The doctors told me I needed to lose weight and lower my blood pressure if this was something I was determined to do. And so, six months later, I returned to the university having done just that,” he said.  

With his weight loss and improved blood pressure, Mollenhauer finally became a viable candidate for the kidney donor list. Then, in September 2012, he received the long-awaited call. Early on the morning of October 15, 2012, Faye dropped him off at the University Hospital to undergo the procedure. The surgery was a success, and thanks to Mollenhauer’s donated kidney, a 42-year-old family man was able to begin leading a healthy life.

Mollenhauer’s commitment to helping others didn’t end there; he now advocates for organ donation awareness, encouraging others to consider this life-changing gift.

A Sister’s Love

Shelley Retrum from Brooten represents the power of family love in organ donation. When her brother, Alan Cameron, called to inform her of his kidney failure, Retrum didn’t hesitate to offer hers. “I got a call from my brother, Alan, who told me his kidneys were failing and asked if I would consider being a donor. I didn’t hesitate one second and just said, “Yes, “” said Retrum.  

Similar to Mollenhauer’s experience, Retrum underwent physical and psychological testing. “The people at the hospital really do a thorough job helping you understand what you’re getting into. And not just you, but your immediate family as well. They interviewed my husband making sure he was committed to being a caretaker,” she explained.

On April 13, 2016, Retrum donated her kidney to her brother. While the immediate aftermath was challenging for Retrum, the joy of seeing her brother’s health improve made it all worthwhile.

“Before the transplant, my brother had to be on dialysis and was very sick,” she commented.  “I had been warned that the recipient of my kidney – my brother – would instantly feel better, and I would feel like I was hit by a truck.  And that is precisely what happened.  Alan’s immediate reaction was he had a new lease of life and felt better after the surgery.  Whereas my experience was, “What the heck did I do?””, she said.  “But in time, I felt better, and seeing my brother’s health improve made the inconvenience of a few weeks of discomfort and pain well worth it.”  

Tragically, Alan passed away in 2023 due to Covid-19 complications. Despite this loss, Retrum remains steadfast in her belief that she would make the same decision again without hesitation.

A Recipient’s Journey

Andrew Stenson from Montevideo brings the perspective of someone needing a kidney. Diagnosed with urinary reflux at a young age, Stenson’s kidney function deteriorated over time, leading to the need for a transplant in 2019.

“I went to see my nephrologist, who told me I needed a kidney transplant,” Stenson shared. “When we learned that the average wait time for a kidney from a deceased donor is 3 to 5 years, my wife, Gwyn, launched a full-scale campaign to find a donor for me. Along the way, she educated many people about the importance of kidney health and the critical need for donors. Her mission became two-fold—not just finding a kidney for me, but also raising awareness to help others,” he explained.

In their search for a kidney, Stenson’s family and friends took numerous steps to determine if they were a match, but unfortunately, none were successful.

By July 2020, Stenson qualified to be placed on the UNOS list, marking an important milestone in his journey. The UNOS transplant list is a list of potential transplant recipients generated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). UNOS’s centralized computer network, UNetSM, matches the medical and biological profiles of potential transplant candidates with those of donors.  When a deceased organ donor is identified, UNOS’ computer system generates a ranked list of transplant candidates who are suitable to receive each organ. UNOS matches individuals waiting for a lifesaving transplant with compatible donor organs.

Stenson and his wife understood that receiving a kidney from a living donor offered a significantly better chance of success compared to a kidney from a deceased donor. Living donor kidneys are generally healthier and more closely matched to the recipient’s immune system, which reduces the risk of rejection. They typically begin functioning immediately after transplant, have a longer lifespan, and provide a better chance of long-term survival. In essence, a living donor kidney not only starts working right away but also lasts longer, greatly improving the recipient’s quality of life.

“And so, we waited and prayed,” said Stenson. “You don’t know the plan; you just wait until the plan unfolds.”

During this time of reading and researching, the Stensons learned about a program called the paired exchange. A paired exchange kidney transplant, also known as kidney paired donation (KPD) or a kidney swap, is a procedure that allows incompatible donor-recipient pairs to exchange kidneys: 

In a paired exchange, two living donors and two recipients are involved:

Donor 1: Gives a kidney to Recipient 2

Donor 2: Gives a kidney to Recipient 1 

This allows both recipients to receive a compatible kidney and donors to give one. Paired exchanges can be arranged by transplant centers, and the surgeries can occur at the same or different hospitals. 

Then something extraordinary happened for Stenson.  “I have a cousin, Emily, in Colorado who called me in the spring of 2021.  She said she was willing to donate her kidney to me.  Unfortunately, we were not a match.  However, Emily said she was still willing to donate her kidney to the paired exchange program to bump me up on the waiting list,” said Stenson. 

In August 2021, Emily donated her kidney, which moved Stenson up the recipient list. However, the waiting continued until December 2021.

“While on a college visit with one of my daughters, I received a phone call,” Stenson shared. “On the other end, I heard, ‘Andrew, we got a kidney for you.’ Then they asked, ‘Do you want this kidney?’ I immediately said yes and was in complete shock. I told my daughter, and we called the family. Our spirits were running high.”

But the excitement was short-lived. Another call from the hospital brought unexpected news—they needed to confirm Stenson’s Covid-19 exposure. “I had Covid over Thanksgiving that year, and because of that, I was no longer eligible for the kidney,” he explained.

In an instant, the Stenson family went from an incredible high to devastating disappointment. “I just crashed. I felt so deflated,” he recalled.

On January 17, 2022, Stenson was out of town again, this time in Marshall with another daughter for her driver’s test. While they were sitting and having lunch, his phone rang. The call brought incredible news—a kidney was available, and this time, Stenson could accept it, as he was clear of Covid-19.

In an unexpected twist, the kidney had originally been intended for another recipient who, due to a current Covid-19 diagnosis, was unable to receive it. This fortunate turn of events meant the kidney was now Stenson’s.

“We need you here tomorrow,” the Mayo Clinic personnel informed Stenson. “There we were—in Marshall, living in Montevideo—and I needed to get to Rochester in less than 24 hours,” Stenson explained. “Our family moved into high gear, and we made it to Rochester that evening, ready for the early morning check-in the next day.”

Upon arriving at Mayo, Stenson passed all checkpoints. It was then that he learned his kidney was coming from UCLA. A man in California had done exactly what Stenson’s cousin Emily had done—donated a kidney to the paired exchange program in hopes of moving his wife up the recipient list.

The kidney arrived, and Stenson underwent surgery. However, after the procedure, he sensed something wasn’t right. As the hours passed, he felt increasingly nauseous. When it was time to get out of bed and take a walk, Stenson suddenly coded.

“In less than 30 seconds, 25 people were working on me in the hospital room.  Remember, this was still the time of Covid-19, and so only my wife was allowed into the hospital.  And just like you see on the hospital shows, my wife was back in the corner of the room watching this all unfold. I remember being in and out of consciousness.  I could hear people saying, “Keep working on him.”  I could feel pressure building in my abdomen,” he recalled. 

 “I was moved to IC, where the team kept working on me.  My surgeon was notified and immediately brought me back into surgery.  He took the kidney out and saw that the blood vessel had shredded and the kidney was unattached.  The surgeon was able to replace the blood vessel using a liver vessel from a deceased donor, and I was going to be okay,” said Stenson. After two weeks, Stenson was released to go home.

Today Stenson shares this sentiment, “Take time this holiday season to be grateful for everyone in your family, and please take the chance and have the discussion about how you share the gift of life with someone who needs it.”

An Unexpected Connection

In a twist of fate, Stenson’s donor was Luis Vargas, a man with an extraordinary story. Vargas had served 16 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit before being exonerated through the California Innocence Project.

According to Legal Talk Network, which aired Vargas’ story, Vargas was wrongfully convicted after three separate witnesses misidentified him as the “Teardrop Rapist.” Sixteen years later, DNA linked to the uncaught serial sex offender was found in one of the victim’s clothing from the crime. 

On November 10, 2015, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, in response to the habeas petition, urged that Vargas’s convictions be vacated, saying that it had “concluded that Teresa R, honestly, but mistakenly, identified Vargas at trial as her assailant. When the results of the DNA tests are considered in light of the three victims’ tentative pre-trial identifications, the (prosecution) no longer has confidence in the convictions rendered against Mr. Vargas.”

The petition was granted on November 23, 2015, and the prosecution dismissed the charges. 

In April 2022, Stenson met Vargas, the man whose selfless decision to participate in the paired exchange program changed both their lives. By donating a kidney to help his wife receive the transplant she needed, Vargas not only saved Stenson’s life, but also ensured his wife received her much-needed kidney.

Conclusion

This remarkable story of interconnected lives through kidney donation demonstrates the power of human compassion and the life-changing impact of organ donation. Bill Mollenhauer, Shelley Retrum, Andrew Stenson, and Luis Vargas represent different facets of the kidney donation journey, from selfless donors to grateful recipients.

To end this story, it is essential to consider some key facts about kidney donation shared by the National Institute of Health:

• Living kidney donation is possible because humans can lead healthy lives with just one kidney.

• The average wait time for a kidney from a deceased donor is 3-5 years, highlighting the critical need for living donors.

• Paired exchange programs, like the one Stenson and Vargas participated in, allow incompatible donor-recipient pairs to exchange kidneys, increasing the chances of finding a match.

• Living donor kidneys typically function immediately after transplant and have a longer lifespan than deceased donors.

• Nearly half of people with chronic kidney disease are unaware they have it, and a substantial number of those also have undiagnosed high blood pressure.

• Potential donors undergo extensive physical and psychological evaluations to ensure they are suitable candidates.

These stories shared serve as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of generosity, inspiring hope and compassion in others. The potential of human kindness is truly unlimited.