Gladys Gonzalez

Type of Donation:             Kidney and pancreas recipient

Age and Location:             Age 28 – El Paso, TX

Transplant Date:               March 25, 2014

Sponsor:                               Honored by Donate Life Texas in partnership with Southwest Transplant Alliance

GLADYS’ STORY

Gladys Gonzalez is outgoing, energetic and very involved in her community. When Gladys isn’t working or volunteering, she loves to spend time with her family, listen to music while reading the lyrics and working out.

Gladys has been a diabetic since she was 10 years old. During her adolescence, all she wanted was to be “normal” and enjoy a piece of cake at the birthday party, like the rest of the kids. When she got to high school, she wanted to be able to run with her cross-country peers and not have to worry about her sugar dropping in the middle of the workout. She learned at a very young age that shots and poked fingers were going to be part of life, and they were. She had to check her sugar and give herself insulin shots between 3 and 5 times per day and watch her diet daily.

In her mid-20’s, she noticed that her ankles were getting swollen. After seeing her doctor, Gladys found out that her kidneys were starting to fail. She started taking medication to slow down the deterioration of her kidneys.  By her late 20’s she had to start dialysis and the process to get on the transplant list for a kidney. Her doctors knew it would be much better for her and her new kidney if she also received a pancreas. On March 25, 2014, Gladys received her new kidney and pancreas, which transformed her life.

After 20 years of shots and 2 years of dialysis, Gladys is now healthier than ever. She often says that she’s living a second life and celebrates her re-birth every 25th of March. Her energy and gratefulness for this second chance has driven her to volunteer with various local associations including Southwest Transplant Alliance. She works out 4-6 times a week and still watches what she eats, but she can now enjoy a piece of cake without the worry of a sugar spike.

Gladys is so appreciative of her donor and her donor’s family and would love to meet them one day. Her new life would have not been possible without them and she honors them by taking care of the precious gift they kindly gave her.