Sharing kidneys across US

Clovis second-grade teacher Regina Griego may have the best excuse ever to explain why she's late for school this year.

Yes, this year.

While her students reported for the new semester on Aug. 12, Griego had a big project she had to finish first.

It involved saving a couple of lives.

Regina and her husband, Gerald, are both Clovis natives. She teaches at Zia Elementary School, and he's the chief executive officer for the family construction firm, Nick Griego & Sons. They have two children: Ryan, a college student in Albuquerque, and Hailey, a junior at Clovis High School.

A decade ago yesterday, Gerald was the recipient of a new kidney, but two years ago that donor organ began to fail, and so did his health.

"The hardest part of this whole process for both kids ... me as well ... was watching Gerald's health diminish," Regina said. "He lost a lot of weight. He was so ill he spent the majority of his time sleeping and was unable to attend or participate in our kids' school functions and just basic everyday life."

As Gerald grew weaker, the Griegos were actively exploring the possibility of another transplant, but "because of antibodies," people who have been through one are much harder to match the second time around, Regina said.

"As a wife, you try to stay positive and encouraging to both your kids and spouse," Regina said, "when deep inside you have this fear of something terrible happening. It began to take its toll on me physically, mentally, and emotionally. Thank God, I had all of my prayer warriors: family ... friends ... church family."

Regina went through the rigorous testing process to see if she could be a potential donor for her husband of 26 years.

"I found out I was a 'positive crossmatch,'" she said. "Although that sounds like a good thing, it was not."

In kidney lingo, that meant there was no way she could qualify.

Their son, Ryan, expressed interest as well, but at 20, he's still a year too young to be an eligible donor. Other family members were ruled out for a slew of reasons ranging from high blood pressure to diabetes to high cholesterol.

That's when the Griegos found out about the "paired donation route" available through the National Kidney Registry.

Here's how it works: If an individual needing a kidney has a friend or family member who is not a direct match, but who would be willing to donate a kidney to someone else, those two (the potential recipient and the potential donor) sign up with the National Kidney Registry.

They can then potentially become "links in a chain," Regina explained, usually accompanied by a significantly reduced waiting time for a new kidney for the individual in need.

"When you're faced with the reality of needing or actually donating one it can be pretty overwhelming and scary," she said. "But I didn't give it a second thought when I agreed. I guess in my mind I felt like I was saving someone whose family was experiencing the same exact difficulties as I was."

The Griegos put their names on the paired donation list, and within two months they were notified that they qualified to be part of an 18-link chain that included nine recipients and nine donors scattered across the United States.

On Aug. 6, Gerald received a kidney from a man in Washington, D.C., and on Aug. 20, Regina had a kidney removed to be shared with a recipient she matched in Colorado.

Gerald's and Regina's surgeries took place at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, the city that served as their home for the better of a month as they began the recovery process. They were able to return to Clovis at the end of August.

Regina is moving considerably slower than her husband right now, which she said is par for this course.

"Gerald is on the mend quicker than I am since his body received something it was in need of," she said. "My body has been put in sort of a shock because an organ was taken that my body wasn't prepared to give."

Being home and recovering gives them time to appreciate the many people in their family and community who made the twin surgeries possible.

"Everyone has rallied and been so supportive with meals, helping with our yard, taking care of our fur babies, phone calls and most importantly prayers," Regina said. "Colleagues in my district donated leave days to me. I didn't have enough leave days; they were generous enough to donate some of theirs."

Ever the teacher, Regina is eagerly waiting medical clearance so she can return to her classroom at Zia and meet her second graders who have been in the care of a substitute - "a good friend of mine - that has been such a blessing."

She has a box full of blue and green rubber bracelets to share with them on the day she returns. Each says, "Organ and tissue donors save lives."

"This will be such a good learning experience for my kids," said the veteran educator.

So how does one kidney save two lives?

It's like this: Regina's kidney is hard at work filtering blood for its recipient.

And without her donation, the Griegos were told that Gerald's time on a traditional waiting list might have been six years - which could have been too long.

"I'll never be able to thank Regina and repay her for all she's done," Gerald said. "She's held our family together even in the darkest times and there's finally a light at the end of that tunnel."

Betty Williamson wishes the Griegos - and all the kidneys involved - long and happy lives. Reach her at:

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