Successful Kidney Transplant a Family Affair
Growing up, Walter Boykins was close to his older brother, Chris Morgan, despite their ten year age difference.
“My father died when I was in seventh grade. He never got to see me play, but Chris got to witness me,” Walter says. “He's kind of filled in on moments. And he's given me a better quality of life where I can, maybe share some glory moments with my son…he's always been there."
A type 1 diabetic, Walter’s kidneys began to fail in adulthood. He turned to University Hospitals for care, where it was determined that a transplant would be his best option. Unfortunately, Walter initially had difficulty finding a match.
“My mother, I believe she was going to try and be my donor, but she had high blood pressure, so she couldn't do it. I had an aunt who stepped up but as more people stepped up, they all had complications. So dialysis was the best option,” Walter says.
By this time, Walter’s brother Chris had retired from the U.S. Marines and come back home. Chris knew his little brother was in need of a transplant, so he decided to get tested as well, but kept it a secret from his brother.
“I didn't want to go in there and get his hopes up. I didn't want to go in there and be preparing them for something that they come back and tell me you're no good,” Chris says.
When Chris received word that he was indeed a match, he decided still to not tell Walter – opting instead to keep a secret it a secret until after the surgery.
The day after a successful surgery, it was time for Chris to reveal his secret to his brother. Although certainly surprised, Walter wasn’t entirely shocked to learn that his organ donor was his very own brother.
“Chris says he's always had my back in that same sense that he's always stood up for me. He has been there for a lot of my big moments,” Walter said. The brothers hope that by sharing their story, they can help to not only save lives, but also bring awareness to the critical need for minority organ donors.
“If there's a family member or someone close to you that you're a match to and you can help I would highly suggest that you do some research, talk to the donor coordinators and just get the information in and sit through to learn about what they can do to help the other family members or people that they know or don't,” Chris says.
In 2019, the UH Transplant Institute at UH Cleveland Medical Center completed 195 organ transplants, the largest volume in the hospital’s history. Surgeons transplanted 18 hearts last year, a record for the program.
As of June 2020, UH has completed 181 organ transplants, 71 ahead of last year at this time - a remarkable feat, especially during this unprecedented time. Transplants completed this year include 135 kidney transplants and 18 heart transplants.