Surprise diagnosis leads Georgia nurse on 4-year kidney search

Cobb County nurse shares kidney survival story

A Cobb County survivor is urging more Black Georgians to register as organ donors to address a critical shortage affecting thousands on the state's transplant waitlist.   

ATLANTA - A Georgia kidney recipient is sharing her story to highlight a critical shortage of organ donors affecting thousands of residents.

Critical shortage of Georgia organ donors

What we know:

More than 3,000 people are currently on the kidney transplant waiting list in Georgia. Data shows that 65% of those waiting are Black or Latino.

LifeLink Georgia reports that only 36% of Georgians are registered as organ donors. Experts say matches within the same ethnic groups can sometimes offer higher compatibility for patients.

Challenges in the search for a match

What we don't know:

Officials have not specified the average wait time for a kidney in Georgia. It is also unclear how many living donors are currently participating in the program.

While the need is critical, the specific medical criteria for the current 3,000 people on the waitlist have not been released.

A journey through kidney failure

The backstory:

Idoreyin Oduba, a nurse, spent four years searching for a kidney. Her diagnosis of stage 3 chronic kidney disease came as a surprise during an annual physical.

Oduba did not have diabetes, which is a common cause of the disease. Early detection provided her with the time needed to join a transplant waiting list.

Emotional toll of transplantation

What they're saying:

"Getting a transplant takes a mental toll on you; it's happy times, but people don't understand it can lead to depression. Someone had to die for you to live," Oduba said. She eventually received a kidney from a deceased pediatric donor.

Hope Weed with LifeLink Georgia emphasized the current gap in registrations. "Unfortunately, right now, we have a critical need only 36% of Georgians are registered to be an organ donor," Weed said.

Addressing donor myths

The other side:

Oduba, who is a nurse, said a common myth keeps people from registering. Some fear that first responders will not try as hard to save a donor's life.

"That's not what we do," Oduba clarified. She encourages more people, particularly in the Black community, to get involved because the disease affects them at higher rates.