After a long battle against kidney disease, Tina Latham received the most precious birthday surprise of all – a chance at a healthy life.

Just two weeks after her placement on UAB Medicine’s active transplant list and five days after her birthday on Nov. 23, 2022, Latham got a new kidney.

“When I got the call that my name had come up as a strong candidate for a kidney (but it wasn’t 100% designated to me at that time), I was in total shock,” said Latham, Alabama Power Southern Division staff market specialist. “It was nothing but a miracle from God. I had been told that with my blood type (O negative), it could take from five to eight years to receive a kidney transplant.”

When she received the call, Latham said she had so many “mixed emotions.”

“I had only a short while to talk with my family and make a decision as to whether or not I’d accept the kidney if offered,” Latham said. “I was in tears because I was feeling so many emotions. I was happy, I was excited and I was nervous. I was ready, but I wasn’t ready. I had already told God that however he wanted to heal me, I would be OK with that.”

Then, less than three hours after the initial call, Latham got the final word that she needed to make her way to UAB that same night to prepare to receive her new kidney.

Latham, 51, had been diagnosed with Alport syndrome in 2021, a genetic condition that can lead to kidney disease, eye problems and hearing loss, and can cause issues with connective tissues. Hovering between stage 4 and stage 5 renal disease, she had undergone surgeries to remove cataracts from both eyes, as well as to repair a torn retina. Latham also suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, anemia and high blood pressure.

But the blessing, Latham said, was that she was able to continue working full time and was not required to undergo dialysis treatments.

A long road

For Latham, the first inkling of things to come was when she was a girl. Renal labs from a regular checkup revealed mild proteinuria (high levels of protein in the urine), but the doctor said that often occurs in children who are active.

Latham again learned of a problem when she had a fender bender during her early 20s. Results from renal labs while in the hospital emergency room detected what had been confirmed years earlier. A follow-up visit to a nephrologist showed that her kidneys were functioning normally, despite what the labs revealed.

“The doctor said I could have a biopsy, but since my kidney function was excellent, I thought, ‘Do I really want to go through that?’” she said.

Latham’s doctor continued monitoring her kidney function over the next few years. In 2016, she noticed increased proteinuria, indicating that there was indeed a problem.

Then, 2020 – the year COVID-19 circled the globe – happened.

“We were sent home to work remotely; my son was doing school remotely; I was watching the news every day and seeing the death tolls from COVID; everything was shut down; and then, my uncle passed away from COVID,” Latham said. “It was a very stressful time that took a toll on me.”

That stress, Latham believes, affected her health. By the end of the year, her kidney function had dropped below 30%.

“I had a biopsy, but the results were inconclusive,” she said. “I was told by the nephrologist that my kidneys were so damaged to the point that the root cause of the kidney disease couldn’t be determined.”

It was later that genetics testing revealed Latham had Alport syndrome. When her kidney function dropped below 20%, Latham was advised that her best option was to receive a transplant.

For nearly a year, Latham underwent extensive evaluations and testing at the UAB Transplant Clinic. That included an electrocardiogram, several ultrasounds and CT (computerized tomography) scans of her kidneys, X-rays and blood tests.

After successfully completing all the tests and lab work, Latham finally received the call she had been waiting for on Nov. 14. She was placed on the active transplant list and eligible to receive a kidney.

“A feeling of immediate relief came over me,” Latham said. “It was almost like I had just completed a marathon. I was overwhelmed with emotions and began thanking God for allowing me to stay faithful during the yearlong process.”

Through it all, Latham said her primary motivation was her son, Caleb, and her job at Alabama Power.

“My faith is really strong, but the hardest part for me was thinking about my son, Caleb,” said the divorced mom. “He is 14 years old and is getting ready to start participating in sports again. If I had been placed on dialysis, my fear was that I would not have been able to function normally, and not being part of his life in the capacity that I needed to be would have been devastating. Work was also driving me because it gave me something to look forward to and kept me going.”

Tina Latham with her son, Caleb. (contributed)

The best gift you can give – your own kidney

More than 93,000 Americans are desperately waiting on a kidney, and someone is added to the transplant list every 10 minutes, according to UAB Medicine. For many, the wait may be years because there are fewer donors than those in need of a kidney.

During a transplant procedure, a healthy kidney from a donor is surgically implanted in a patient suffering from end-stage renal disease. A transplant allows that person to continue living a normal life and avoid dialysis, the only other treatment for kidney failure.

A kidney can be donated by a close relative or another living person with a similar genetic makeup. A patient can also receive a kidney from a deceased donor.

Most living donations are performed laparoscopically, a less invasive procedure that typically means a shorter hospital stay and a more accelerated recovery. Most donors remain in the hospital for about two to three days and face a recovery time of up to six weeks.

Alexis Carter, clinical research coordinator at the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute, said donors can live a “normal life with just one kidney.” But if, for some reason, donors require a kidney transplant at a later time, they will receive priority through the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

“Giving someone a second chance in life is a marvelous thing,” Carter said. “Seeing the impact a new kidney makes on a person’s life makes it all worthwhile.”

Tina Latham is recovering from her kidney transplant and grateful to God and her donor. (contributed)

Moving toward a healthy new life

Since receiving her kidney on Nov. 28, Latham said she is growing stronger every day. She hopes to return to work at the end of February, although it may be a year or more before she is fully recovered.

“I’m thankful to everybody who has been supporting me and praying for me – my immediate family, my work and church families, my friends and the care team at UAB,” she said. “I hope at some point I can express my gratitude to the family of my donor and my condolences for their loss. I can’t find the words to thank them enough.”

Latham offers these words of encouragement to anyone who is waiting for a kidney transplant.

“Stay optimistic, stay prayerful, do everything you possibly can to keep yourself healthy while you’re waiting – exercise, eat a kidney-friendly diet, hydrate and try to remain stress-free,” she said. “Most importantly, be proactive. I felt that I needed to stay in constant communication with my doctors and nurses because if I didn’t do it, nobody else would.”

Latham said her faith has been her support and kept her strong throughout her illness.

“I have my faith in God because without him, I would not be able to function,” she said. “God is my everything. I rely on him for my strength and my motivation. I get encouragement through his words.”

For more information about the kidney transplant process and how to become a donor, visit the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute.