Renewal is a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization that helps people suffering from kidney disease. The Renewal team is dedicated to saving lives by providing education and working to facilitate live kidney donation. Live donor transplants offer several advantages, including superior outcomes and shorter waiting times compared to transplants from deceased donors.
Renewal recently celebrated a remarkable landmark – the facilitation of over 1,000 successful kidney transplants!
Top-Notch Faculty, Top-Notch Care
In 2023 Renewal moved to its new global headquarters, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated by the Aronow-Zupnik families. Here the Renewal staff members meet new patients from around the globe, do cross-matching, plan awareness events, and meet remotely with transplant centers. This is where many recipients and donors meet for the first time.
In 2023, Renewal facilitated 133 kidney transplants, a 47 percent increase from 2022. The numbers are incredible and surpassed every previous year. Renewal helped to facilitate kidney transplants in facilities across America. Countries with patients who underwent successful transplants from around the globe included Israel, Canada, South America, and Africa. Over 60 percent of the altruistic transplants performed in New York, which is the transplant hub of the country, were facilitated by Renewal.
NextGenMatch, a digital lab that has been sponsored by members of the community, is a new sophisticated eplet matching system. It utilizes DNA sequences analysis to find more precise molecule matches. This reduces the probability of rejection, enables patients to safely reduce immunosuppressive medication, and increases the longevity of the transplanted kidney. The lab is overseen by Dr. Massimo Mangiola, a world-renowned board member of the National Kidney Registry. In his words, Renewal is light years ahead of any other transplant facility.
A Testament to Community Hesed
On January 7th, Renewal recognized its 1000+ donors with a gala event at the Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. Over 1,500 people attended this once-in-a-lifetime event. It was a fitting celebration for an amazing milestone!
The fact that over 1,000 kidney transplants have been successfully performed through live donors is a testament to the selflessness and compassion of the individuals who voluntarily give a part of themselves to save another’s life. Renewal’s selfless donors beautifully demonstrate the power of community and the incredible impact that collective support can have on such an important cause. The Renewal team with staff, volunteer donors, and kidney recipients together illustrate how that lifesaving procedures can significantly improve the quality of life of those suffering from kidney failure.
The willingness of people within our communities to step forward and undergo the process of donating a kidney is truly remarkable and deserves recognition. By celebrating this achievement, we are not only acknowledging the incredible resilience and strength of those who have received a new lease on life through kidney transplants, but we also honor individuals who have selflessly given a part of themselves to make it possible. It is a testament to the power of human connection, compassion, and the willingness to help others in need.
People often ask why is there suddenly such a need for kidney transplants? AJ Gindi, Community Advocate of Renewal, responds that the need is not sudden. Tere always was a need but no place to go to address that need. People would quietly make their way to a dialysis machine and spend their final moments there. Now, thanks to Renewal, people suffering with kidney challenges can get a second chance at life and spend that time with their families.
Kudos to our wonderful community for supporting this incredible cause and for making such a significant difference in the lives of others. May our community’s compassion and generosity continue to inspire others and bring hope to those in need of life-saving organ transplants.
For more information about Renewal or kidney transplants – please contact AJ Gindi at AJgindi@Renewal.org