From dialysis to recovery: Shaina McCoy’s 3-year battle for a new kidney ends

Deputy returns to work after kidney transplant after 3-year-wait

We have a heartwarming update on Shaina McCoy, a former Fayette County deputy who finally gets to return to work after waiting 3 years on the transplant list for a kidney. McCoy was diagnosed with an auto-immune condition at 18-years-old that resulted in kidney failure.

GRIFFIN, Ga. - Six weeks after a life-saving transplant, former Fayette County sheriff’s deputy Shaina McCoy is finally reclaiming her life.

What they're saying:

McCoy, who spent three years on daily dialysis due to total kidney failure, is now 42 days post-operation and back at work. Speaking from Griffin, she said the recovery process has hit a turning point.

"I'm doing really well," McCoy said. "Today marks six weeks post-surgery, and I'm finally starting to feel a lot better and get my energy back."

The milestone is more than just physical. This weekend, McCoy and her husband are planning their first out-of-town trip since she began dialysis, a freedom she hasn't known in years.

For those unfamiliar with the mechanics of a transplant, McCoy noted that the placement of the new organ was a bit of a shock. Pointing to her abdomen, she revealed that the kidney is actually tucked into the front.

"Right there in the front, that is not what I expected," McCoy said.

FOX 5 has followed McCoy’s journey for the past year, documenting a search for a donor that at times felt desperate. McCoy admitted there were dark moments while waiting on the transplant list.

"It absolutely was," McCoy said of the difficult days. "It was such a relief to get this kidney and be able to live a normal life again."

Her luck changed last fall thanks to Tim Torberg. By donating a kidney himself, Torberg was able to select someone to move up the transplant list. He chose McCoy, a gesture she credits with saving her life and preserving her family.

McCoy’s surgery took place on Dec. 23. While her journey from full organ failure to returning to work has been grueling, she wants others facing similar battles to stay the course.

"I want people on dialysis that are on the kidney transplant list to not give up hope because your day is coming," McCoy said. "It may take a few years, but your day is coming. Do not ever give up hope."