TUCSON, Ariz. (April 11, 2025) – In celebration of Donate Life Month, Banner – University Medicine in Tucson played host to a private living kidney donor appreciation event to honor living kidney donors for their generous, fearless and selfless contributions that save lives.
The April 5 event recognized the transformative impact of living donation and highlight the life-changing outcomes made possible through the Banner – University Medicine living donor kidney transplant program.
The kidney transplant program is guided by the belief that every patient deserves a second chance at life. Living donation plays a critical role in expanding access to transplants, offering renewed hope to more families. The program also performs paired kidney donations, which involve a kidney swap among incompatible donor-recipient pairs, allowing recipients to overcome biological barriers. Through innovation and collaboration, the transplant team remains committed to providing the best possible outcomes for patients.
According to the American Kidney Fund, as of April 2024:
- 1,424 Arizonans were on the kidney transplant waiting list.
- 16,804 Arizonans are living with kidney failure, a condition that disproportionately affects communities of color.
- 5,558 Arizonans are living with a kidney transplant.
Many adults do not realize they have kidney disease until significant and often irreversible damage has occurred. Living donor kidney transplants offer better outcomes, typically lasting longer and providing a higher quality of life compared to deceased donor transplants. A living donor kidney also begins working immediately, reversing many of the complications associated with kidney failure.
"Living donation provides patients with a second chance at life and significantly reduces wait times," said Venkatesh Ariyamuthu, MD, director of the Banner – University Medicine Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program. "Our goal is to continue to improve outcomes and raise awareness about the importance of living kidney donation."
In 2024, the Banner – University Medicine Tucson kidney transplant program performed 16 living donor transplants, with more than 52% of patients on the transplant waitlist receiving a kidney within one year, far exceeding the national average of 22.2%.
Anyone can be a living kidney donor. Blood relation is not a requirement, and paired donation programs allow for kidney swaps when direct donation is not an option. The transplant team works closely with prospective donors to assess eligibility and set goals for donation.
One inspiring example of living donation comes from Georgie and Andy Rodriguez, a brother and sister from Rio Rico. Andy had been living with kidney failure for 20 years, and in December 2022 his health began to decline, making a transplant his only option. After overcoming a prostate cancer diagnosis that initially prevented him from being listed, Andy was added to the transplant waitlist. Despite his insistence that family members not donate, Georgie was determined to help her brother. When she learned that she was a perfect match, she dedicated herself to improving her health and wellness for an entire year to prepare for the kidney transplant in December 2023.
"It gave my brother a whole new life," said Georgie. "For me, it was an easy yes, giving him a chance to thrive when he was just trying to survive."
Georgina describes her experience as life-changing, both for herself and her brother.
“I’m now an advocate for living donation,” she said. “There’s no better gift to give someone. It was the best thing I could’ve done for someone I love, and it even motivated me to take better care of my own health.”
Georgie and Andy credit the skilled doctors and dedicated Banner staff for making their journey possible.
"My kidney transplant was a family affair.” said Andy. “Was it easy? No, but my family and the Banner Health transplant team have made my recovery easy. I couldn’t ask for a better team for my positive progress and prognosis."
To register as a potential living donor, please visit our donor registration webpage.
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and Banner – University Medical Center South are part of Banner – University Medicine, a premier academic medical network. These institutions are academic medical centers for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. Included on the two campuses are Diamond Children's Medical Center and many specialty clinics. The two academic medical centers are part of Arizona-based Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/universitytucson or bannerhealth.com/universitysouth.
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