This has truly been an amazing week in the news!  The largest ever kidney swap hit the news, and 13 people received life saving kidney transplants.  It all started with a woman in Maryland who wanted to donate her kidney, as an inspiration to serve others promoted by our current Administration.  Ten of the thirteen recipients were Asian, Hispanic, or African American.  When all was said was done, there were 26 operations all together.  The hardest part of the operation falls upon the donors, not the recipient.  Dolly Parton said it best in the movie Steel Magnolia’s when she said “I hear they have to saw her in half just to get the kidney out.”  This is true, unfortunately, but what a gift of life! 

There are fewer than 17,000 kidney transplants performed each year, yet there is more than 88,000 Americans on the Donor List.  On the flip side, the National Kidney Foundation (NCF) is in one of the many fights happening on Capitol Hill in the midst of all this Healthcare Reform.  The NCF is opposing a bill that will pick up the bill, by Medicare, for anti-rejection medications beyond the 36 month coverage period.  In exchange, Medicare will decrease the reimbursement for dialysis.   Dialysis costs about $70,000 per year per dialysis patient.  As a result, there are significant concerns from nephrologists, dialysis teams, and transplant teams across the nation.

Isn’t it amazing?  Thirteen people gave a kidney, most doing it just to provide the gift of life, and Congress is choosing which avenue of life is best.  Thirteen people have a new lease on life, and Congress is planning to choose the avenue for others…is it just me, or does this just does not add up?

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