The gift of life

Kalyn Machado Ayala has a spring in her step and a smile on her face thanks to Parkland’s organ transplant team. In a perfectly orchestrated transplant surgery, she received the most important gift of all from her little sister – the gift of life.

Between work and taking care of her kids, the trips to Parkland for dialysis twice a week were a challenge. The only long-term solution for her was a kidney transplant with a family member being the best chance for a perfect match.

Her sister, Rosa, volunteered to get tested, hoping she would be a match. She turned out to be a perfect match in addition to having the same blood type as Kalyn. After many delays, Kalyn finally received a new kidney and a new lease on life. In fact, Kalyn and Rosa’s transplant surgeries were the last performed in the old Parkland operating room.

“We wanted to get the surgery done at Parkland because our transplant team has been really good and helpful through the whole process,” Rosa said. “Everyone at Parkland has taken excellent care of us and we are very happy with our decision.”

Thanks to Parkland’s expert team, within days of the surgery, Kalyn’s skin returned to a healthy color, she had more energy and was smiling once again. Shortly after surgery, Rosa was back on her feet and feeling good.