Two Kalona residents receive donor kidneys

By Molly Roberts
Posted 7/14/21

Two Kalona residents have recently undergone kidney transplant surgery, but both received their kidneys from different types of donors.

Carl Poe and his wife Deanna registered with the National …

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Two Kalona residents receive donor kidneys

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Two Kalona residents have recently undergone kidney transplant surgery, but both received their kidneys from different types of donors.

Carl Poe and his wife Deanna registered with the National Kidney Registry and participated in a paired exchange where Deanna donated her kidney to a patient, whose loved one donated a kidney to Carl. Dave Caplan, the owner of English River Antiques in downtown Kalona, however, received a kidney from his brother, Joel, who resides in the Caldwells in northern New Jersey.

Joel had previously donated bone marrow to Dave while Dave was battling Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, therefore Dave had zero chance of rejecting the kidney due to the donated bone marrow recognizing the donated kidney as itself.

“Rejection is a huge problem with transplant surgery,” Dave said. “I have a very difficult medical history. I’ve survived four cancers and have a whole bunch of other physical issues and the only reason they were even willing to consider giving me the kidney is because they knew I wouldn’t have the usual rejection and immunosuppressive issues that most people have. So, I told my brother thank you for saving my life, number one, and now with the donation of his kidney, he’s saving the quality of my life.”

Both Carl and Dave had been undergoing dialysis before receiving their donated kidneys — Dave for about three years and Carl for about one and a half years.

Dialysis, also referred to as renal replacement therapy, is the process of removing excess water, solutes and toxins from the blood. Dave said each dialysis treatment necessitated him to sit in the dialysis center for four and a half hours three times a week. The treatments left him drained and exhausted.

Carl and Deanna tried at-home dialysis, where they had the equipment in their home, but ultimately decided it wasn’t the right procedure for them.

“Carl asked me in January if I would consider giving a kidney and I said, ‘Well, yeah,’” Deanna said. “In March, they started doing testing, giving blood and being ran through all sorts of tests to determine that I was a candidate and then we got listed on the National Kidney Registry on May 25. On June 21, we got the phone call that Carl could get a kidney.”

Carl and Deanna went in for surgery on July 2, first the operation to remove Deanna’s kidney and then, after Carl’s kidney arrived, the operation to remove Carl’s bad kidney and transplant the donor kidney in.

Carl and Deanna don’t know the pair they exchanged kidneys with, nor where they live.

“They asked me early on if I would like to meet my recipient and I said, yes, I would like that,” Deanna said. “But we haven’t found out yet where my kidney went or where Carl’s came from. It could be a couple or siblings or friends or other family members.”

Post-surgery, Deanna said she is feeling well. There are a lot of numbers to be kept —such as fluid going in and fluid coming out — and Carl is on a heavy regiment of medication, such as anti-rejection pills. Carl’s immune system is also suppressed, and he and Deanna will have to be careful about exposure to illness outside their home.

“I think it’s a wonderful program. They say we all can get by with one kidney,” Deanna said. “They are saying now that there are not enough cadaver kidneys. Enough people aren’t signing up to be an organ donor. But this program seems to be a win-win. It helps two people instead of the one. This way, my kidney went to someone who is still living, and that person’s partner or friend gave one to Carl so two people benefitted.”

“He’s got a new lease on life, now. I’m very thankful for that.”