Health
A Second Chance at a Second Chance: Rick Searches for a Kidney Transplant
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / May 8, 2025 / For more than a decade, Rick Mendoza had been fully enjoying his kidney transplant. From hikes to mowing the lawn to attending his daughter's school and sporting events, his transplant let him experience ...
About this update from Davita Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / May 8, 2025 / For more than a decade, Rick Mendoza had been fully enjoying his kidney transplant. From hikes to mowing the lawn to attending his daughter's school and sporting events, his transplant let him experience all of the simple pleasures in life. That was until his kidneys started to fail again in 2022.","length":352,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""I thought to myself, ‘This cannot be happening. Not again. Not already,'" said Rick.","length":99,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The Gift of Life: Kidney Donation","length":33,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Back in 2010, Rick's kidneys started to fail for the first time, sending him into a state of depression and confusion. Thankfully, he didn't let it keep him down for long. Rick knew if he wanted to get better, he would need to search for a new kidney. His search didn't take him very far, leading him to his sister-in-law, Sharla Mendoza.","length":350,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Despite her fear of needles and other health anxieties, Sharla decided that she needed to help her brother-in-law. In 2011, she donated her kidney to Rick, bringing the family even closer together.","length":197,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Don't burn the bridges with your in-laws because you never know," Rick joked. "My sister's gift allowed me to [experience] those 12 years fully alive."","length":180,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"With over a decade of life lived with his new kidney, Rick didn't expect to slow down at any point - let alone in his 50s.","length":126,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Unfortunately, Rick's started to fail once again in the summer of 2022.","length":75,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The Impact of Kidney Failure","length":28,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"More than 23%1 of kidney transplant recipients experience graft failure by the five-year mark, and that number rises to about 35%2 by 10 years.","length":143,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""We had just finished a family vacation and there were some signs. Lack of energy, weakness, headaches. I knew something was wrong," said Rick.","length":153,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Individuals on the wai...