Regina Tanner

Type of Donation:             Kidney donor

Age and Location:             Age 60 – Fresno, CA

Transplant Date:               November 3, 2016

Sponsor:                               Honored by Donate Life California

REGINA’S STORY

Regina Tanner is a 60-year-old retired RN and attorney who loves to spend time at the beach, cooking, traveling, playing with her dogs and with friends and family.

Regina’s husband Cary was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease.  Regina always told her husband that if he ever needed a transplant she wanted to be his donor if she was a match.

In 2010, after Cary suffered a serious illness and there were concerns about the stability of his kidney health, the doctors recommended searching for a donor.  Without hesitation, Regina volunteered to be tested and she was determined to be a good match for Cary.  In 2016, they found out Cary would require dialysis or a transplant.  The transplant team at California Pacific Medical Center was contacted and the plan for Regina to be Cary’s donor was put in place.  Blood tests, evaluations by doctors and social workers were completed and the surgery was scheduled.  The transplant team reached out to the Tanners and explained that Regina was an excellent match for someone who had been on dialysis and on the transplant list for 4+ years.  The team asked if Regina would be willing to donate to a stranger if the transplant team was able to find a suitable kidney for Cary.  The Tanners readily agreed. They became part of a 9 donor/9 recipient kidney paired donation.  The donors and recipients were unrelated, different ethnicities and different sexes.

Regina wants people to know that while kidney donation is major surgery, her experience wasn’t that difficult.  Regina’s experience has made her more aware of the need for education regarding transplant options.  She wants to raise awareness about shared paired donations.  She would like patients waiting for transplants and potential donors to understand that a kidney does not have to come from a relative or someone who is the same sex or ethnicity as them.

With the support of family and friends, Regina was back to her normal activities in less than 6 weeks.  She has no problems related to the kidney donation.  Cary is well, working and thriving.