CHANDLER, Ariz. — “Today is 47 days post-transplant. Yeah,” said Tiana Smith with a big smile.
She can smile now because it’s been a long journey to get to this point in her health. She was diagnosed with Lupus, an autoimmune disease, as a child. The disease eventually caused her kidneys to fail.
When we first met Smith in 2021, she struggled with her health - stopping the interview to catch her breath.
“When I get like this, my body just feels like it can’t hold itself…26 years old, the body of a 100-year-old,” said Smith two years ago as she leaned against a chair.
She underwent dialysis three times a week. She had to limit her beverage intake and diet. She needed a new kidney. She was on the transplant list, but the wait could be three to five years.
Smith did her best trying to find a live donor. Handed out business cards that read “I Need a Kidney.” She drove around town in her car with the same message on the back window.
On March 25 of this year – her life changed.
“I was over at a friend’s house. I woke up the next morning, and I had a bazillion calls from my mother and the Mayo Clinic,” said Smith.
It was the call she had been hoping for.
“Huh? I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ They’re like, ‘Yes.’ So, I immediately said yes. I was at the hospital within an hour and a half,” said Smith.
A kidney from a donor who had passed away was available. She received a new kidney that same day.
“I just feel like blessed and grateful,” said Smith.
She is still recovering. She is moving slowly with careful steps but is already feeling more energetic. She is now off dialysis.
“I can get back to my life and feel accomplished. Life looks pretty great. Yeah, it is,” said Smith with a big smile.
Smith would like to return to school and become a nurse. Travel abroad when she’s healthy and hopefully thank the donor's family someday.
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