21 Year Old Donates Kidney

Meghan Bosack, a 21 year old from Suffern, is walking around one kidney lighter these days. The decision to donate her kidney came after years of struggling with a rare condition called Nutcracker Syndrome, a painful disease caused by the compression of the left renal, or kidney, artery. Bosack’s Nutcracker disorder was diagnosed in a CT scan in 2022, but it wasn’t until 2023 that Bosack’s symptoms began to impact her quality of life. While struggling to decide next steps, Bosack and her mother found a Facebook support group for individuals with Nutcracker syndrome. On the Facebook group, they learned about Dr. Kenneth Chavin. It was there that Bosack’s journey to a pain free life, a donation, and a new friendship began. 

Dr. Kenneth Chavin, the director of Abdominal Organ Transplant at Temple, has been a transplant surgeon for 27 years. For the past nine years, he has been known by several Facebook support groups as the go-to doc for Nutcracker Syndrome.

Prior to meeting Dr. Chavin, Bosack was aware of her options. She could either undergo an auto transplant, where her own kidney is removed and then replaced within her, or she could donate her kidney to someone in need. “I knew that I would rather donate my kidney,” said Bosack. “There was really no downside to me donating it.” 

The process for donating a kidney is extensive, and for good reason. Dr. Chavin described an initial tele-health visit, a health questionnaire, visits with a kidney specialist, 24 hour urine collection, blood-work, imaging, a consultation with a doctor of Pharmacy, a psychologist, and multiple meetings with all of the surgical coordinators. These steps were to ensure that Bosack would be able to live a full and healthy life with one kidney, and that the organ was healthy enough for a recipient. 

Bosack was presented with options for candidates available to receive her kidney by her team of doctors, and decided that due to her age she would like to donate to a pediatric patient. “It’s your kidney. You get to do what you want with it,” said Dr. Chavin, stating that about 75% of patients with Nutcracker Syndrome elect to donate their kidney and about 25% elect to have an auto transplant.

Bosack began the process for her donation in September, but wouldn’t be able to undergo surgery until April 7th. During this time Bosack continued to be in pain from her Nutcracker Syndrome, but she soldiered on, stating “…there was nothing wrong with my kidney, so why not donate it to someone who needs it?”

While Bosack knew that her kidney was to go to a pediatric patient, the personal details of the patient were kept under wraps. It was not until the day of their first meeting that Bosack learned the recipient was Evelyn Bautista, a woman only four years younger than herself. “We had no words,” shared Bosack, remembering the crowd of reporters and doctors that surrounded them. “Their meeting was really impactful for everyone who was part of it. It’s a wonderful thing,” shared Dr. Chavin. Since meeting, the Bosack and Bautista have continued to stay in contact.

Bautista had been experiencing kidney disease symptoms since she was 11 and had been undergoing dialysis three times a week for several years. The dialysis sessions took several hours and caused Evelyn to miss large amounts of school. Bosack said that after meeting Evelyn she was shocked to learn that patients undergoing dialysis can only drink 30 ounces of water a day. “So now, [Evelyn] said ‘I’m super happy to be able to drink water.’ And that’s something we take for granted,” said Bosack. 

Dr. Chavin, a self-proclaimed girl dad three times over, shared how it was particularly emotional for him to see the two young women connect. “We were able to double celebrate in this case, because we helped cure a young lady of a debilitating anatomic problem, take her perfectly normal kidney and give it to someone who had a long road ahead of them but now has a new lease on life and will start college in the fall,” said Dr. Chavin. 

Since her donation, Bosack has been able to live a largely pain-free life. “It’s kind of crazy how donating my kidney could help me so much,” she said, excitedly sharing summer plans to see Deftones, Blink 182 and Sublime in concert with her mom and sister, going to the beach, and spending lots of time with her friends.

Dr. Chavin encouraged anyone who is interested in giving the gift of organ donation to reach out to their local transplant center. For Rocklanders, this would be Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY or NYU Langone Health. “Don’t be your own doctor and rule yourself out. Let us do the medical part…our goal is not to get organs, but to get organs from healthy people,” said Dr. Chavin “…It’s a wonderful thing, and it’s safe and it’s a miracle that happens around the world every day”.