04/26/2026
My son Zavier (Zavi) was 6 years old when he received a kidney transplant from his dad, Luis, on June 10, 2014. He had an extremely rare mitochondrial disorder that, in addition to other health complications, caused kidney failure. He was extremely sick prior to transplant. His kidney failure affected his heart and put him into severe heart failure as well. Against all odds, he came through surgery with relative ease and recovered quickly. Within a year, he had normal heart function again and was thriving, able to return to school and play baseball!
Zavi was an extremely loving, kind, and funny little boy. He loved playing baseball, video games, watching The Office, and any medical show he could find surprising enough. But most of all, he loved being a big brother! His sister Zoe was born a year and a half after his transplant, and he became her biggest protector and best friend.
Zavi unfortunately passed away on June 16, 2020 - just 6 short years after his transplant. He was 12 years old. We are beyond grateful for the additional 6 years we got to spend with our amazing little man. Without his transplant, he would not have been able to meet his sister or bless us with joy that radiated deep from within his soul! He truly made an impact on so many people.
Because of his successful transplant, other children with different mitochondrial disorders that were previously denied transplants were able to receive the gift of life. His journey was documented in several medical papers and further proved the positive impact organ donation has for everybody, even those previously considered ineligible. Zavier is deeply loved and missed beyond measure!
Our daughter Zoe was born with the same mitochondrial disorder as her brother. While she was affected in slightly different ways, she too developed end-stage renal disease. However, because of her brother's history, her nephrologist was insistent on her receiving a pre-emptive transplant, so as to avoid dialysis, which really took a toll on Zavi. She was 8 years old when she received a living donor kidney transplant on September 18, 2024. I was not a match for her, so I opted to take part in a paired exchange. I was able to donate my kidney about 6 weeks prior to Zoe receiving her transplant. We have yet to meet the recipient of my kidney or the donor of hers but are hopeful introductions will be possible in the near future.
Zoe had some complications post-transplant that made recovery longer and more challenging. But she overcame those obstacles and is full of energy again. Zoe, now 10 years old, is a very determined, independent, free spirt with a great sense of humor, that she definitely got from her brother. She enjoys being outside any time of year, but especially loves summer when she can swim. She also enjoys roller coasters, which we recently discovered on her Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World last year.
Luis and I are so grateful we were able to donate our kidneys, his directly to our son Zavi, and mine indirectly, through paired exchange, to our daughter Zoe. And we are so thankful to the person who also opted to take part in the paired exchange. Without them, our daughter would have most likely ended up on dialysis while waiting for a transplant with the hardest blood type to match. 'Thank you' feels far too small for the profound gift they gave Zoe.
While our journey has been difficult, we remain passionate about organ donation and encourage everyone to register to become an organ donor!" - Shenea, Zavi & Zoe's mom
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