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A First-Hand Account of a Renown Health Kidney Transplant Evaluation Experience

By: Alana Ridge

January 17, 2025

When Angela Seagraves was told she had kidney disease at the young age of 30-something, her health became even more center stage. After many unsuccessful attempts at getting care out-of-state in hopes of a transplant, the Renown Patient Access Representative would experience a “dream come true” with the establishment of the Renown Transplant Institute, Reno’s first-ever kidney transplant program.

Angela tried many things to keep her kidneys in check after her diagnosis. However, getting COVID-19 four times would be what would accelerate her into stage five kidney failure by March 2023. With her kidneys operating at 12%, she began dialysis in June of that same year, going in three days a week for three hours of treatment each time.

With no kidney transplant program in northern Nevada at the time, Angela was forced to look outside the area, without success. Feeling discouraged, she continued dialysis, hoping for an answer.

That answer then came when she started seeing announcements on Renown’s intranet regarding the grand opening of the Renown Transplant Institute and the kidney transplant journey of Kirill Zelenin, the son Renown Clinical Application Specialist Masha Zelenin.

After being referred to the Institute by her care team at DaVita Dialysis Center, Angela scheduled her evaluation appointment. Here’s a breakdown of what she experienced.

Angela’s First Appointment at the Renown Transplant Institute

Angela was excited to know that she would only have to wait a couple of weeks to be seen for her full-day appointment at the Renown Transplant Institute. She felt nothing but optimism when the day came.

After she checked in at 7:30 a.m., her appointment started with a Transplant 101 education class, a detailed overview of the transplant process. She was then brought into the office to meet the multidisciplinary transplant team, including:

• Dr. Ernesto Molmenti, Executive Director of the Renown Transplant Institute and Chief of Transplantation at Renown Health
• Dr. Narisorn Atsava-Svate, Transplant Nephrologist for the Renown Transplant Institute
• Transplant nurse coordinators, a pharmacist, a dietician, a social worker and a financial coordinator

Together, the team review her medical history, discussed what makes a good transplant candidate and explained the tests required as part of her evaluation.

“These people were some of the kindest, most genuine people I’ve ever met,” she said.

Following the team meet-and-greets, Angela was sent to the lab, where the phlebotomists took several blood samples.

Then, she walked over from the lab to the imaging room, where she ended her full-day assessment with a chest X-ray and a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis.

Time of check-out: 3:30 p.m.

Angela walked out of her appointment with restored hope, noting how “wonderful the support system is” at the Renown Transplant Institute.

Next Steps of the Transplant Journey

Angela remains incredibly positive about her potential to receive a new lease on life soon. Next on her to-do list was to get an electrocardiogram (EKG), and now that the test is done, “they have everything they need,” she reports.

Angela’s file will now be presented to the Selection Committee, where her case will be reviewed to determine if she is approved for listing on the national transplant waitlist.

Despite the notion of such an assessment being nerve-wracking to her, as it would be to any patient, Angela highlighted that meeting with the transplant team put her nerves at ease every step of the way. Even when she was leaving the office, the team told her that she could call them any time and that they were happy to help. Angela attributes her care team as a significant part of her keeping her positive mindset strong.

“My advice for anyone going through kidney failure and hoping for a transplant is to remain positive,” Angela emphasized. “It’s coming! It may not happen right away, but hang in there, and stay positive.”

The Impact of the Renown Transplant Institute

It’s a “dream come true.”

It’s a “blessing.”

It’s “something we can all look forward to.”

It’s “huge for all of us in Nevada.”

Those were the words of enthusiasm Angela expressed when asked about what it means to have the Renown Transplant Institute right here in northern Nevada. With the 575 Nevadans currently in need of a kidney transplant (according to the Nevada Transplant Institute), keeping transplant care close to home is an important investment in the health of the communities we serve.

“If I got the call that I was a match for a kidney, I could be at the Renown Transplant Institute in 20 minutes,” said Angela. “We won’t have to travel for hours anymore. This is a big deal.”

Angela plans to continue sharing her kidney transplant journey with our community. Stay tuned as we follow along.

The Renown Transplant Institute is currently accepting referrals for patients with stage 4 chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease who are interested in being evaluated for a kidney transplant. Call 833-746-4684 to learn more.

Want to become a healthcare hero? Sign up to be an organ, eye or tissue donor at nvdonor.org.