Transplant patient thrives without medication after innovative procedure

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[Text on screen: Kyle Clark
Kidney & BMT Recipient]

Kyle Clark: I was teaching English in China actually and started to feel sick, and went into the hospital and had to do emergency dialysis.

[Text on screen: Todd Pesavento, MD
Medical Director
Kidney Transplant Program]

Todd Pesavento, MD: He had a disease called IgA nephropathy, and it's a disease that affects the kidney. We don't really know why it happens. Worldwide, it's very common, although it's still a rare kidney disease, and unfortunately it led to his kidney failure.

Kyle Clark: I finished out that school year while doing dialysis in China. Made it home that summer, started doing dialysis here. Started signing up for a kidney transplant, and amazingly found that there was this research study. Because one of the biggest concerns with, at least for me, was post-transplant, the immunosuppression, being at my age, knowing I'd have to be on that for the rest of my life.

Todd Pesavento, MD: Fortunately, he was able to find a living donor with his brother and then he was able to undergo this really innovative procedure. And so part of this trial is how we can use the stem cells from his donor, his brother, at the same time he gets a kidney transplant that allows him to remain off of the immunosuppression long-term.

[Text on screen: Evandro Bezerra, MD
Hematologist
OSUCCC - James]

Evandro Bezerra, MD: So to allow a case like this to be done, we need to have a very well-experienced and large kidney transplant program, and have also a large and experienced bone marrow transplant, to navigate together a unique case like this.

Kyle Clark: Hearing that he was going to get tested, it gave me hope again. And so after being on dialysis for close to three years about, we were able to do the bone marrow transplant and kidney transplant. It's a lot different than that first year where I think my medicine cabinet was filled with 10 different pill bottles and every morning was a whole chore trying to figure each one out. I'm completely off immunosuppression, so that is very exciting.

[Text on screen: Kevin Clark
Kyle's Brother & Kidney Donor]

Kevin Clark: He's my little brother, he's 27, the quality of life with a dialysis, not being able to hang out with friends as much, and being able to tell that he wasn't the little brother I had growing up, it felt like, as a big brother, this is my opportunity to step up. And I woke up in the recovery room with a healthy brother. So, not a bad Tuesday.

Kyle Clark: You can't say thank you enough. I don't think words can describe how thankful you are. That was life-changing for him to make that decision. It was a commitment for him and a sacrifice for him, but if anyone has the chance to register as an organ donor, take it. I just know how important that was for me when you find out that someone stepped up. So I think it would be awesome if other people get that feeling too.

[Text on screen: Ohio State Health & Discovery
For more information, visit: wexnermedical.osu.edu/transplant]

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