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Arizona mother gives her son the gift of life through kidney donation

By
Updated  March 16, 2025 10:12pm MST
Health
FOX 10 Phoenix

The Brief

    • March is National Kidney Month and an Arizona mother is spreading awareness for others to learn about the silent symptoms and the importance of being a registered donor.
    • She says she was able to give her son a second chance at life when she donated.

PHOENIX - Being a kidney donor can save lives – just ask a Valley mom who saved her son.

What we know:

March is National Kidney Month, and according to the National Kidney Foundation, 1 in 3 American adults are at risk of chronic kidney disease.

What's often plagued as the silent killer, sometime's it's hard to know you have it, unless symptoms worsen.

"90% of people who have kidney disease have no idea because the symptoms are so benign: a sore back, swollen feet, fatigue. Most people probably feel that at the end of every work day," said Patrick McReynolds with the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona.

That's where the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona comes in to assist with getting more people screened.

It helps with medical expenses and transportation to and from medical appointments.

Local perspective:

This is something close to Lisa Holdaway's heart. Her son was diagnosed with kidney disease at 14.

"He was tired all the time. He was literally sleeping 12 to 14 hours a day. He would wake up, he was still tired, his coloring was off, and as parents we just attributed to he was just a freshman in high school, he's tired, he's getting used to getting up early," she said.

She knew if it came down to it, she would donate her kidney to her son, Kendon. That moment came.

"It's a really interesting thing. As a mother, I gave him life once, but I actually was able to give him life again. So, that unique opportunity of being able to give your child life twice, its not something that a lot of moms get to experience, but it's a really sacred, profound experience," Holdaway said.

The family is doing well:

After a successful kidney transplant in 2018, Holdaway is doing well.

Kendon is thriving, and is now married and just finished his first year of medical school.

What you can do:

You can learn more about kidney donations by clicking here.

The Source

  • Patrick McReynolds with the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona, Lisa Holdaway

HealthNewsArizona