Priya Ramdas celebrates motherhood after kidney transplant
Priya Ramdas received a life-saving kidney transplant in 2013. Five years afterward, she was able to have her first baby.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Mother’s Day weekend is often a matter of the heart, but for one mother in Hartford, it was a life-saving kidney transplant that made her dreams of becoming a mom come true.
Priya Ramdas was just 14 when she had her kidney removed and started dialysis treatment. In 2013, she received a life-changing phone call that a kidney was available for transplant. Even after surgery, doctors said having kids may be a long shot.
“This is something unreal; this is just a dream, and you’re sleeping. Then you wake up and this is not a dream, it’s real life, you have a baby, your own baby,” said Ramdas.
Ramdas has always wanted to be a mom. Before she could bear children, she battled kidney failure.
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Her first surgery to repair her kidney happened when she was 12. Two years later, she had to have her other kidney removed. That’s when she started dialysis treatment.
“It was extremely difficult. I was living in an apartment on the third floor, and my heart function was just 25%, so getting upstairs wasn’t easy, so my husband would lift me up three flights of stairs,” said Ramdas.
She would be on dialysis for seven long years. Working with the New England Donor Service to help her find a match.
New England Donor Services, Director Community Outreach Mark Brevard with NEDS tells us that wait time is typical for people on the donor list.
“On a national scale, there are over 100,000 people who are waiting for organs. Here in the New England area, there are about 5,000 people. The wait list is long, and that’s why we’re really encouraging people to register to become an organ and tissue donor,” said Brevard.
RELATED: Middlebury man gets new lease on life after unexpected kidney donation from a person in his past
On a rainy night in 2013, Priya received a glimmer of hope in the form of a phone call.
“I answered the phone and they said, It’s Yale transplant, we have a kidney available, would you be interested? I couldn’t say yes, I couldn’t say no, I didn’t know what to say. I gave the phone to my husband, and he said, Yes, we’ll be there as soon as we can,” said Ramdas.
“I went outside and danced in the rain, then we got ready and went to the hospital.”
Her transplant was a success. But Priya’s new lease on life still had question marks.
“The doctor was like, after being on dialysis, having a baby, it’s not impossible. You can, you cannot, it depends.”
Five years after her transplant. She and her husband, Sanjay, decided to take their shot in the dark… Soon after, Austin Ramdas was born.
Five mothers’ days later, Austin Ramdas is a happy, healthy 6-year-old who loves cars.
His mom helps him curate his collection. While reflecting on what this holiday means to her.
“Mother’s Day is special. I get to celebrate with him, I got my mommy, and I have my mother-in-law too. It is a blessing and all because of the donor and the donor family who made that decision,” said Ramdas.
Priya uses her story to serve a greater purpose.
She now works with the New England Donor Service (NEDS) to spread awareness of organ donation.
The message seems to be working, NEDS has seen an 80% increase in donations since 2020.
She’s sending a message to those who may be in a similar situation to what she was going through.
“Don’t give up. Dreams do come true. I got my transplant, I got my baby, I got my family, we’re making memories.”
Priya wants everyone who is willing to be an organ donor to sign up. For more information, click here.
Glenn Kittle is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected].
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