40° and Overcast
Image
March is National Kidney Month and a perfect time to meet Amy and Jason Harwood, a Franklin couple who have been married for almost 22 years, with a unique kidney donation story to share. Jason had been on dialysis since November 2023. His wife, Amy, found out she was a donor match, and selflessly donated a kidney to her husband in July of last year and the transplant was successful.
Amy, who works in the Wellesley public schools, is a 2000 graduate of Franklin High School and Jason, who hails from ‘next door’ in Wrentham has built a career in telecom and IT. He explains that he was first diagnosed with diabetes around age 14 and had been unsuccessful in managing the condition through marriage, building a career, and becoming a dad.
As time went on, Jason started developing high blood pressure and kidney disease, and that progressed over a number of years. Then, in 2023, Jason contracted a virus that further compromised his health and required him to undergo dialysis. Initially, that required three, four-hour sessions, alone at a dialysis center each week. “No one could sit with him due to concern over blood-borne pathogens,” Amy explained.
Later, he was able to adopt an at-home dialysis option, but the health challenges persisted, in at least one instance leading to a dangerously low blood sugar level and another hospitalization. But, in the meantime, Amy had begun the process of seeing if she might be able to donate a kidney. The couple’s blood types were a match, a big first step, but there were ongoing concerns as to whether or not antibodies had developed in Jason due to multiple blood transfusions, which could potentially cause Jason's body to reject Amy’s new kidney.
Finally, as Jason’s need for a lifeline continued to grow, all the boxes were checked for a transplantation procedure, which involved completely different medical teams, to ensure that both the donor and recipient were properly represented and cared for.
The big day came in July of 2024 and both came through the process well. That night, Amy was able to see Jason for a short time. Jason's new kidney was working well from the moment it was connected. Jason was hospitalized for 4 days, and Amy was supposed to be hospitalized for 3. Amy had never had a surgery in her life, and kidney donation was her first one. The day after donating, the surgeon was surprised to see how well she was doing and how alert she was. Due to this, Amy was released that morning. Just a little over 24 hours after donation, she was headed home. The doctors advised Amy and Jason that walking was great post transplant and donation. Every day, they would walk up and down the road, and each day a little further. On day 13, Amy was back to walking 6 miles and returned to the gym for nonweight lifting activities.
Now, in addition to spending time with their four daughters, Amy and Jason regularly volunteer with New England Donor Services (NEDS) and We Encourage Living Donation (WELD) to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation. As March is Kidney Month, the Harwoods’ story can raise awareness about how kidney donation, and organ donation at large, can save lives. “We are so incredibly grateful that 237 days after starting dialysis, we were a match and I was able to donate my kidney to you,” said Amy in a message to Jason. “The girls and I love seeing how filled with life you are now.”
Today, Amy stresses that the whole process has brought the family closer together.
It is estimated that about 90,000 Americans are currently waiting for a life-saving kidney donation. While some of these individuals may receive a donation from a living donor, most will spend 3-5 years waiting for a kidney from a deceased donor. NEDS and WELD staff and volunteers work to dispel myths surrounding organ donation and encourage the public to register as organ donors to help more individuals receive kidneys and other critically-needed organs. If you are interested in learning more about living donation, visit Donate Life America WELD. To register to become an organ donor, visit https://www.registerme.org/.
[Ed Note: March is National Kidney Month!]
