NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For one family in Nashville, this Thanksgiving is unlike any other.
A mother who was told all of her organs were failing is now happy and healthy.
In 2019, 29-year-old Courtney Judkins was told her kidney function was at 0%. She needed to be kept alive with dialysis.
"Scary," remembered Courtney's 9-year-old daughter Kinley. "Sad and scary."
"It's hard to watch your child go through something unimaginable," added Courtney's mother Amy Gray.
At first, the outlook on a transplant list wasn't great. While the normal wait time for a deceased kidney is 5 to 7 years, the wait for someone with Courtney's blood type, O positive, is 7 to 9 years.
That was until the team at Ascension Saint Thomas helped Courtney onto the Hepatitis C Kidney transplant list.
"This opened a huge door; this actually changed my whole journey," said Courtney.
The revolutionary approach gave her a shot at a new kidney that would become healthy with a 3-month medication cure.
She received one in March, six months later.
"It was an exciting day once we got the phone call," recalled Amy.
"It is a blessing," said Courtney. "It is a second chance at life. It is a completely new life."
So naturally, there's quite a lot to be grateful for this holiday.
"I love her," said Kinley. "A lot!"
Courtney is now part of the transplant wellness program at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital. It's the first of its kind and helps transplant patients like Courtney live long, healthy lives.
