Lewes couple facing kidney failure seeks living donors

Plenty of seniors face health challenges, but husband and wife Andrew and Dana Goldstein of Lewes got a double whammy when they were both diagnosed with end-stage renal failure at the beginning of 2024, shortly after celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.

They are now are seeking the community's help in finding living kidney donors. Their transplant journeys are being supported through the National Kidney Registry, which helps match patients with living donors and facilitates paired donations. In this process, incompatible donor-recipient pairs are matched with others in similar situations to create a life-saving donor chain.

Dana Goldstein’s story: “Since I was 8 years old, I have been an insulin-dependent diabetic, taking multiple shots a day, and more recently wearing an insulin pump. My mother, also a type 1 diabetic, eventually succumbed to kidney failure. While a student, I met my husband, who is also a type 1 diabetic. We have been able to support each other through our health journeys. Type 1 diabetes can wreak havoc on one’s body. It has long affected my eyesight. Despite years of carefully monitoring my blood sugar and wonderful advances in medical care, my kidneys are now failing. Earlier this year I started hemodialysis, which meant going to a center three days a week for treatment. I have since transitioned to home dialysis, which holds great promise.

“But for the miracle of dialysis, I would not be alive today. Unfortunately, dialysis is also time-consuming, exhausting and isolating. Needing to perform dialysis four times a day leaves me little time or energy to pursue activities outside the house. During dialysis, we even need to isolate ourselves from my dogs and cats to ensure a sterile environment. Despite my best efforts, dialysis means my world is shrinking. My sister underwent the kidney donor evaluation. She has an underlying medical condition which left her unable to donate a kidney.

“Having a living donor will give me the best chance of a transplanted kidney not being rejected. It will give me the best hope of being able to return to living life in its fullest. I look forward to watching my daughter grow, returning to my professional work, meeting friends for coffee, continuing to serve my community, and once again going swimming and spending time kayaking.” Learn more at nkr.org/tde863.

Andrew Goldstein’s story: “I have always had trouble asking people for help. This situation is even harder. Having been through so many medical procedures, I am having great trouble bringing myself to ask someone else to undergo a significant surgery, regardless of my medical team's assurances of the minimal risk. A deceased donor is therefore the route to which I had resigned myself, even though the longevity of such a transplant and its chances of success are lower than a kidney from a living donor. A few days ago, I had a conversation that led me to rethink that.

“I randomly talked to someone while waiting in line at the DMV. He had suffered kidney failure 30 years ago. After spending time on dialysis, he received a deceased donor transplant. That kidney lasted for seven years, after which he had to go back on dialysis. He was lucky to receive a second transplant. His advantage was that he was young enough where he could undergo that second transplant. I am now considering more strongly the limitations of a deceased donor transplant, and what could happen if and when that transplant fails.

“A person does not have to be a direct match in order to donate for me. There are opportunities to receive a kidney through the paired exchange and voucher programs. The Donor Shield Protections program, available only through the National Kidney Registry, may be available and includes lost wages, travel/lodging and more. A donor would have their hospital cost and medical care covered by my insurance.” Learn more at nkr.org/tkz944.

Anyone who is interested in seeing if they are medically able to donate a kidney can find donor information on the National Kidney Registry website, kidneyregistry.com/for-donors.

Andrew said even for those who might not be able to donate, advocating for someone else to be a donor, just by sharing the Goldsteins’ story, could be a life-saving act.