Raymond Jones

Type of Donation:       Kidney Recipient

Age and Location:      42, UCLA

Donation Date:           April 7, 2022

Sponsor:                      UCLA

RAYMOND’S STORY

At the age of 31, Raymond (Ray) Jones had almost grown used to symptoms like edema, sluggishness, and shortness of breath. He attributed them to his weight since he was nearing 450 pounds at that time.

But one day during a dental appointment, Jones's soaring blood pressure kept him from having anesthesia. After a doctor's visit, Jones was immediately sent to the hospital where a grim reality surfaced: end-stage renal disease.

Most patients can function normally until their kidneys are at less than 15% of capacity. As the disease progresses further, their kidneys will require assistance, either via dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Jones began a rigorous, decade-long dialysis routine while waiting for a kidney transplant, but the shortage of available organs made the wait agonizingly long. His weight posed an obstacle to eligibility for a transplant, and he found it challenging amidst his health struggles.

Determined to turn the tide, Jones embarked on a weight loss journey. By 2018, he had lost 50 to 60 pounds. He qualified for gastric sleeve surgery, a bariatric procedure that would enable more substantial weight loss. The road to eligibility for this surgery included a strict diet and a supervised exercise regimen.

"They want to make sure you're motivated to lose the weight before the surgery, so you'll keep the weight off later on," recalls Jones. After the bariatric surgery, he continued his transformation. Within two to three years, he had shed more than 250 pounds.

"I started and never stopped," Jones says of his commitment to his health. By 2020, his name was added to the national kidney transplant list. It was during this time that he received the call that would forever change his life. Once the surgery was complete, Jones became the 10,000th kidney transplant recipient at UCLA Health.

"It took a lot to get here," says Jones. "This is a big deal, and people don't get this type of chance every day. I'm just really thankful – to be the 10,000th recipient is a very special thing, and I was blessed with that."