Transplant conference celebrates life — and miracles like a neighbor who stepped up when a woman down the street needed a kidney.

One of the people who spoke at an annual transplant patient conference held at Intermountain Medical Center last week was Julie Reeve, a transplant recipient who ended up with hardly any kidney function after years of diabetes, cancer, and chemotherapy.

When numerous friends and family members were disqualified from giving her a kidney, she thought about going door-to-door for help. ““I thought there was no way I would get a transplant,” she said at last week’s conference. Th e door-to-door idea wasn’t half bad. Julie ended up receiving a kidney donated by her neighbor, Shelly Rose. “I just knew I wanted to do it,” Shelly said. “I watched Julie and knew her family loved her and she needed it. I was healthy and could do it, so why not?”

The transplant surgery took place in January — but there were complications. Shelly found that one of her kidneys was twice the size of a normal kidney, which caused some concern — but not enough to stop the surgery. “As long as it was all right in the end, bring it on,” she said. Today, her large remaining kidney gives her better kidney function than average donors — and a couple of doors down the street, a friend who’s thriving. “I think we had a greater recovery because of our attitude,” she said. “Anything can be accomplished with a positive attitude.” Julie reflects that attitude: “Shelly is a personal miracle from God who came into my life and saved my life,” she says.

A number of the people who support miracles like that took part in Intermountain Medical Center’s second annual transplant conference last week, which was funded by the National Kidney Foundation and Astellas. Its purpose: Help transplant patients stay informed about the latest transplant trends, connect with members of the transplant community, celebrate National Donor Awareness Month, and encourage organ donation.

To sign up to be an organ donor — or get more information about organ donation
in Utah — click on www.yesutah.org or call Intermountain Donor Services at
1-866-YES-UTAH.