By Annette Pinder

Ronald Pughakoff was just 68 when he was told that he was suffering from kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). ESKD occurs when the kidneys are unable to filter waste products and control fluid levels in the body. The only treatment for kidney failure is dialysis, a treatment that cleans the blood by passing it through a filter, or a kidney transplant from either a living or deceased donor.

Ronald began undergoing peritoneal dialysis in September 2024, a treatment in which a catheter is inserted into the abdomen every night while a patient sleeps. “Some patients do well, but it is challenging,” says Nicole Haseley, NP, Living Donor Coordinator at the Regional Transplantation and Kidney Care Center of Excellence at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC Kidney Center). “Patients find it difficult to endure this type of dialysis while trying to sleep and not move with tubing that is hooked up to a machine from 8 am to 8 pm.”

Ronald’s wife and daughter decided to be matched to determine if they could donate a kidney to Ronald, as did his sister-in-law Diane Malicki, who turned out to be the perfect candidate. “We didn’t ask anyone to help us, but when our family members heard what was needed, they asked to be matched,” says Ronald. He received Diane’s kidney this past December, and it was the best holiday gift he could have ever hoped for.

Explaining why she decided to become a living donor for her brother-in-law, Diane says, “I was 65 and healthy. I learned that my remaining kidney would cover for my missing kidney. I was home by Christmas, and when I saw Ronald smiling and joking after surgery, I knew it was all worth it.”

Dr. Liise Kayler, program director of ECMC Kidney Center, is dedicated to helping people like Ronald who need a kidney transplant. Dr. Kayler estimates that 250,000 people are currently eligible to receive a transplant, and 100,000 people are on a waiting list. Last year, Dr. Kayler’s program performed 143 kidney transplants, but only ten of those were from a living donor. She hopes to make more people aware of the ability to receive a kidney transplant and also become a living donor.

To help spread the word about kidney transplants, Dr. Kayler created a series of short, easy-to-understand and animated educational videos to help educate people about the process. She and her team are saving lives and making a difference in our community. Dr. Kayler collaborates with institutions across the U.S. to improve transplant care, mentors the next generation of transplant surgeons, and helps increase patient access to, and opportunities for, transplants through educating people and improving the use of deceased and living donors.

Learn more about the kidney transplant process and becoming a living kidney donor by calling (716) 898-5001. See videos of Dr. Kayler explaining the process at https://transplantinfo.com.