NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After nearly two decades on dialysis, a Tennessee teacher has a new kidney.
There are nine kidney transplant centers in the state, but most doctors ruled out Sandra Stamps because of her weight.
"The thing about BMI is it doesn't take into account body fat, age, race and ethnicity," said Stamps.
Stamps has a rare kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
For the past 19 years, the Chattanooga biology teacher spent three long nights at week at a dialysis center.
"Four hours when I started, and I was still teaching, so it was a lot of late nights. I would work all day, go straight to dialysis and get home about 9 or 10 o'clock. Yeah, it was a long day," Stamps said.
Stamps' surgeon at Ascension said it's very uncommon to be on dialysis for as long as she did.
"Unfortunately, there is a relatively high morbidity/mortality rate with dialysis, and for someone to be on dialysis for 19 years is almost unheard of for that reason. Ms. Stamps battled with obesity because she was battling with obesity for most of her life she was deemed unable to be transplanted," said Dr. Derek Moore, her transplant surgery specialist.
Dr. Moore said one reason he took Stamps on as a patient was that she was extremely motivated.
"I think it helps to approach these patients more holistically and educate them for them to be able to make themselves better candidates and work with them to become a candidate for a transplant which will improve their quality of life and prolong their life," Dr. Moore explained.
Stamps wants people who learn about her story to take away that with your health you should never settle.
"You're eventually going to find the person that's going to give you the attention you need because you deserve it. They're going to give you the correct healthcare because you deserve it," Stamps said.
April is Donate Life Month. You can register online to be an organ donor so that when you die you can give to someone in need. It's also possible to donate a kidney or piece of your liver while you're alive.
