Celebrating second chances: Parkland patient grateful for gift of organ donation
Parkland Health a leader in kidney transplantation for over 60 years
April is Donate Life Month, an opportunity to celebrate the lives saved through organ donation and to encourage others to register as donors. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, more than 103,000 individuals are waiting for an organ transplant and nearly 87% of them are waiting for a kidney.
For over six decades, Parkland Health has been a leader in kidney transplantation, performing the first successful operation in Texas in November 1964 at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Since that day more than 60 years ago thousands of Parkland patients have received a second chance at life, including Angel Escalante, whose journey is an embodiment of the power of family, hope and the generosity of an organ donor.
In 2019, Escalante received some life-altering news. While preparing to pursue his dream of becoming a truck driver, a routine physical and urine test revealed that his kidneys were failing. His health rapidly declined. After a series of medical visits, his primary care physician confirmed the worst: He had a condition called membranous nephropathy, an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the tiny filters in the kidneys that cleans waste from the blood. Because of this, Escalante’s kidneys weren’t filtering correctly at all, and without any intervention, he had only months to live.
“When the doctor told me I had three months to live, it was a shock. At first, you feel like you have nothing to live for,” he said. However, despite a scary prognosis, Escalante’s resilience and his close-knit family kept him going. His sister, determined to find a cure for her brother, helped him navigate the challenging process of getting on the organ donation waitlist.
“Once we found Parkland, everything started to fall into place,” Escalante said. With the help of his transplant coordinators Deepa Mani and Sunitha Lordson, Escalante began attending regular appointments, and doctors at Parkland confirmed his kidneys were failing. He was placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant just a few months later.
“I am so grateful for my family. They were with me every step of the way. It’s times like these that you truly realize how important family is. They were my backbone,” Escalante said.
While Escalante was originally placed on the deceased donor list, his family, including his sister, cousins, and brother-in-law, all underwent evaluations to become living donors. Though none of his biological family were a match, hope was not lost. In an unexpected twist, Escalante’s brother-in-law, Anton Palmer, was approved as a donor.
In November of 2020 Escalante received the gift of life that would change everything, his transplant operation was successful. “When I received my kidney, it was a new beginning. I couldn’t believe it, but I felt so thankful,” Escalante said. “It gave me a second chance at life.”
Thanks to the generosity of his brother-in-law and his dedicated team at Parkland, Escalante’s life was saved. And after his recovery, Escalante was able to pursue his dream of becoming a truck driver, a goal he had put on hold due to his health. “I waited two years to go to CDL school, but now I’m approved, and I’ve got my CDL license,” he said.
Escalante remains immensely grateful for the gift of organ donation and the selflessness of donors. "If you want to be a donor, it’s a big decision," Escalante said. "But the most important thing is that you’re putting others before yourself. You’re saving a life. And that is the greatest gift you can give."
“Angel’s story reminds us that we are all vulnerable to organ failure which can have devastating consequences. His living donor, Anton, reminds us that that there is hope for those with organ failure,” said Joe Lockridge, MD, Medical Director of Kidney Transplantation at Parkland, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Living donation is a tremendous act of pure altruism as there is no medical benefit to the donor from donating a kidney. Anton’s gift has improved Angel’s life expectancy, allowed him to return to work, enjoy time spent with his family and loved ones, and thrive, as we all should. That impact is immeasurable.”
Escalante still visits Parkland for regular check-ups, each time looking forward to seeing the care team that saved his life. “Parkland has become my second family. Every time I go, it feels like I’m seeing family.”
Escalante’s message to those facing a similar prognosis remains one of hope. “Even before the transplant, there was still hope. Don’t give up. There’s always hope, no matter what you’re going through,” he said.
For Dr. Lockridge, the opportunity to help patients like Escalante live robust, healthy lives as well as many others who may feel they have no viable path to transplantation, further reminds him of the importance of his role in serving the Dallas community.
“At Parkland, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality care to an underserved population. Our patients are challenged with economic, health literacy, insurance, and other non-medical drivers of health that would disqualify their candidacy for transplant at many other medical centers,” Dr. Lockridge said. “We welcome these patients by leveraging Parkland’s robust health system infrastructure to ensure adequate access to transplant essentials: medication and clinic access, intensive patient and caregiver education and safety net assistance for funding vulnerabilities. Our system requires more time and effort, but we know the patients deserve this level of care to optimize transplant success and ensure a healthier and more productive life.”
For more information about Parkland’s Kidney Transplant Program, visit www.parklandhealth.org/kidney-transplant. For more information about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhealth.org.
If you’re interested in registering to be an organ donor, visit www.donatelifetexas.org/register.
Back