Courtney Judkins was only 24 years old when she started dialysis treatment for her kidney failure a few years after having her first child. Four years later, she would receive a kidney transplant at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West in Nashville, TN, which she says saved her life.
In 2019, the Nashville native was rushed to the hospital due to uncontrollable bleeding. After being seen by the doctor and getting her blood work drawn, she learned that her kidney function was at zero percent, and she needed to start dialysis immediately. "The doctor told me all my organs were failing," said Courtney. "It was a really scary moment."
Courtney was told that she had an autoimmune disorder triggered her kidney into a nephropathy when she was pregnant. IgA nephropathy, or Berger's disease, is an autoimmune disorder where antibodies build up in the kidney tissue. "I had my daughter in 2014, so from 2014 to 2019 is how long it took for my kidney to go to zero percent," she said.
Courtney started doing dialysis consistently three days a week for four years. "This was the lowest moment of my life," said Courtney. "I was in such a deep hole. I didn't understand how this could happen to someone just 24 years old."
She spent three years with her name on one transplant list until she learned she could enhance her chances by joining multiple lists. Without any delay, she enrolled in the hepatitis C kidney transplant list at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West Kidney Transplant Center, which significantly changed the average wait time for her blood type, which is O positive.
"The average wait time for an O blood type for the deceased donor list is 7 to 9 years," she said. With the hepatitis C kidney, it would be a two-day to 8-month wait.
Hepatitis C is curable in the donated kidney with medication that Courtney would have to take for three months.
After a year on the waiting list, the long-awaited call from Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West Kidney Transplant Center finally came. Ascension Saint Thomas Kidney Transplant Center is recognized for fast transplant rates, meaning patients wait less for a kidney by The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Shorter wait times for kidney transplants impact patients' survival after being placed on the waiting list.
On March 28th, she received the gift of a second chance with a hepatitis C kidney transplant performed by Dr. Derek Moore , an abdominal transplant surgeon at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West. "Dr. Moore and the staff in the ICU did an amazing job," said Courtney. "I have never felt so cared for after my transplant. Courtney is now a part of the Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West Wellness Center , attending the first-of-its-kind kidney transplant wellness program. The primary goal of this program is to help patients live longer, healthier lives with their new kidneys.
"I am enjoying life in the healing process," said Courtney. "I am thankful for where I am today and how my life has completely changed. My gratitude goes out to Dr. Moore and his team."
Personalized kidney transplant care
At Ascension Saint Thomas Kidney Transplant Center in Nashville, TN, our nephrologists and transplant surgeons deliver personalized care for end-stage renal disease and chronic kidney failure. Our doctors listen to understand your health needs and provide comprehensive care. We're here for you whether you need non-surgical care or a kidney transplant. Talk to a doctor today by visiting ascension.org/SaintThomasKidney or call 615-222-6618 .