How Brett Epps’ life was saved with kidney transplant

Brett Epps found out that he had a rare form of kidney disease right after he started dating Alix Cirigliano.  Brett was put on dialysis for nine hours a day.  The outlook for kidney donation is bleak.  That’s because there are so many people waiting for a kidney donation.  According to Donate Life America, more than 90,000 people in the United States are waiting for a kidney donation.

Although many people wait for a deceased donor, a living donor can accelerate the transplant process.  A living person can function with only one kidney. The kidneys filter waste from the blood, help maintain water balance and blood pressure and keep the proper balance of minerals in the blood. On average, a living donor kidney can function anywhere between 12 to 20 years, and a deceased donor kidney can improve quality of life for 8 to 12 years. 

There are strict requirements for donation because the donor and recipient have to be a good match.  When Alix decided she wanted to donate her kidney to Brett Epps, her boyfriend, she found out that she was a perfect match. Alix donated her kidney to her boyfriend and saved his life.  They later married.  In June 2020, Alix gave birth to their daughter.  

According to the National Kidney Foundation, 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for kidney disease.  According to Living Kidneys Donor Network, 5,000 people die every year waiting for a kidney transplant and another 5,000 are taken off the list because they are no longer healthy enough to receive a transplant. Many of these individuals were good candidates for a transplant when they were first put on the waiting list.