Former High School Doubles
Partner Donates Kidney

In tennis, a strong link between doubles partners is the key to success.  Playing well as a pair requires communication, strategy and, often, a connection that seems intangible.

However, for Karla Hope and Leigh Hudson, former high school doubles partners, the connection is far more tangible. Leigh donated one of her kidneys to Karla in September.

Karla, now 45, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease when she was in her 20s.  Her mom suffered from PKD and spent 14 years on dialysis before passing away at age 66.  Karla watched her mom struggle with the disease, but avoided thinking about her own possible diagnosis.

“I always knew there was a 50-50 chance I would have the disease, but I didn’t get tested because I knew there was no treatment or cure,” Karla said.

But when her older sister, Patti, was diagnosed with PKD, she decided to get tested.  The test results showed that she did, in fact, have the disease.

Over time, Karla’s kidney function declined and it became clear that she would need a transplant if she wanted to avoid dialysis.  Both Karla and her two sisters inherited PKD, and she says it hit her harder than the others.  As her condition worsened, she knew she would need a transplant if she hoped to avoid dialysis.

“My kidney function kept decreasing bit by bit,” she said.  “I’m the youngest of the three sisters who have PKD, and my kidneys were the worst.”

With that, Karla began searching for a donor match.  Nine people volunteered to be tested, and Leigh was one of them.

The pair had remained close friends since childhood, growing up in Brownsfield, TX.  In high school, they were doubles partners, making it to the state tournament during their senior year.  They remained in contact, and Leigh had always been aware of the history of PKD in Karla’s family.

“I’ve known forever that Karla had PKD,” Leigh said.  “But when I was in high school, I couldn’t even fathom that she might actually need a transplant some day.  This past summer, Karla told me that her condition had worsened and a transplant was eminent.  I had always said that I wanted to be tested when that time came.  It was just something I felt compelled to do.”

The first time Leigh was tested, her results were inconclusive and she was forced to send more samples, which made her results the last to arrive.  When the samples were tested, they showed Leigh was the only match of the nine people who were tested.  With that, they decided to move forward with the process.  Karla’s hope was to have both kidneys removed and the new kidney transplanted -- a fairly rare procedure.

“Based on what my mother went through, I started looking for a place that would remove both kidneys and then transplant the new one in.  I thought, ‘I’m as healthy as I’ll ever be.  Let’s just do one operation.’”

After some inquiries, they found that Texas Tech University Medical Center in Lubbock was willing to perform the transplant, along with the double nephrectomy.  The operation was the first of its type done at the hospital.

The operation lasted 10 hours, and the pair received support from a wide range of people, including their high school tennis coach, Virdie Montgomery.  He visited Karla and Leigh in the hospital and stayed for several days, even presenting them with engraved plaques to commemorate the successful transplant.

Leigh said that she never doubted her commitment to Karla, even in the days leading up to the operation.

“I never had any apprehension about my decision,” Leigh said.  “My family and friends were very supportive.  I felt strongly that I was guided by my faith and that I was doing the right thing.”

Karla, of course, expressed sincere gratitude for Leigh’s gift.  Like so many other transplant patients, she can sometimes find it hard to express her thanks in words.

“Leigh is just an angel,” Karla said.  “She’s a huge blessing.  When someone gives you a gift like that, just saying ‘thank you’ seems so inadequate.”

Karla is on the road to recovery after the transplant.  She is doing well and improving each day.  While she has had to adjust  to the medication, she says that “it beats being hooked up to a dialysis machine.”

Likewise, Leigh says she has recovered well from the operation.  She’s back to her day-to-day activities and has even resumed running.

“I can’t tell any difference today than the day before my surgery,” she said. “God gave us two kidneys and we only need one.  I feel fortunate that I was the person who was able to help Karla.  I think God truly had His hand in this process.”

Posted February 12, 2008