2019 Jolene Vargas

Name:                                     Jolene Vargas

Type of Donation:             2-time Kidney recipient, currently waiting for a kidney

Age and Location:             Age 51

Transplant Date:                 8/12/1993 and 3/4/2011

Sponsor:                               Honored by One Legacy

JOLENE’S STORY

As a young single mother, Jolene was working full time and caring for her son when she started feeling tired, thirsty, and her legs began to swell. She went to the hospital expecting to be told she was fatigued, and needed to rest. Instead, on November 5, 1992, she discovered she was experiencing kidney failure. After further testing, doctors diagnosed Jolene with the same disease that also plagued her brother, Joe. Jolene was scared and worried, not just for herself, but for her son as well. Dialysis made Jolene feel tired and weak. However, she remained thankful that she had support from her mother and stepfather. Jolene was soon added to the waiting list, and on August 12, 1993, she received her first kidney transplant.

After her transplant, Jolene’s health improved and she was able to go back to work. When her son Steven started school, she dove into supporting roles, coaching basketball and T-ball, and volunteering her time at the Baldwin Park School District. On January 6, 2000, Jolene learned that her father was in the hospital with pneumonia. Her father passed away six days later and became a cornea donor.

Later that same year, Jolene’s health started to deteriorate again. In October, her doctor confirmed that her kidney was failing once again and Jolene went back on dialysis in February of 2001.

In July of 2009, Jolene lost her mother and was left to take care of her stepfather, who had dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This was a trying time for Jolene, as she balanced taking care of her stepfather, while at the same time dealing with her own illness. On March 4, 2011, Jolene received her second kidney transplant. Jolene describes her gratitude for this second gift of life, which enabled her to care for her ailing stepfather as he had cared for her throughout her life.

Jolene’s “dad” passed away in October of 2012, which left a void in Jolene’s life. St. Vincent’s Multi-Organ Transplant Center invited her to become an Ambassador for OneLegacy. Jolene was excited for the opportunity to give back and help others like herself. Since then, she has volunteered more than a thousand hours to share her story and help promote the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.

Jolene’s son graduated from college in June of 2014, and he now works for Microsoft in Seattle, Washington. Jolene celebrated her 50^th birthday at the Dodger Stadium with her family, thanks to the Helpful Honda People. However, just five days after her birthday celebration, Jolene learned once again that her kidney was failing. “She’s been with me for so long and we’ve done so much together. It feels like losing my best friend,” says Jolene of learning that her second transplant was failing. In November of 2017, Jolene was placed on the kidney transplant waiting list for the third time.

Jolene continues to spread the word about organ, eye and tissue donation. She remembers what her older brother Joe once told her, “Never feel sorry for yourself, instead focus on helping others.” Jolene is unspeakably grateful to both of her kidney donors, and to their families, for giving her the gift of life.