San Francisco priest donates his kidney to another priest

SAN FRANCISCO - Father Raymund Reyes and Father Francis Garbo are bonded by more than their faith: Reyes now has one of Garbo’s kidneys.

A ‘new and holy kidney’

"I’m just enjoying this new life that has been given to me. I call it the new and holy kidney," Reyes said on Wednesday with a laugh.

The backstory:

Father Raymund Reyes, a priest at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in South San Francisco, was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2019. 

By last year, the condition had progressed to the point of requiring dialysis. While his doctors informed him he needed a transplant, Reyes admitted he struggled with the idea of asking for help.

"As a priest, I’ve been trained to serve people, not to be a burden to them," he said. 

He was put on a wait list for a deceased donor’s organ that was years long, so his care team convinced him to put out a call for a living donor.

Garbo, who is a priest stationed at Mission Delores Basilica and Mission San Francisco de Asis, said he asked God to find Reyes a suitable donor.

"I started praying for that, but I never imagined that it was going to be me," said Garbo.

Dozens of volunteers to donate a kidney

The response was overwhelming, with dozens of parishioners volunteering to be tested, including four fellow priests.

"There were 40 people waiting to be tested and I’m just marveled by it," Said Reyes. "God, maybe you’re answering my prayer, that I don’t have to deal with this alone."

But when none of the volunteers resulted in a match, Reyes jokingly asked Garbo whether he had signed up. 

Garbo eventually did, and after a series of tests, it turned out Garbo was a perfect match.

"I prayed to God that if it is His will that I give the kidney that God gave me, that it will be not my will, but God’s will," Garbo said.

The surgery took place in January at CMPC in San Francisco, and both men are recovering well. Before the transplant, Reyes said dialysis had left him immobile with weak hands and legs. Now, he feels he has returned to his former self.

The pair, now attached at the kidney, have been friends in the ministry for decades.

"Not knowing that after 27 years he would become my living donor," Reyes said.

Three months post-op, Reyes is preparing to return to the pulpit at the end of the month.

"During dialysis, I was immobile and my legs were so weak and hands, and now I’m back to where I was," he said.

Transplant doctors spread awareness for living donors

Doctors at Sutter Health CPMC, where Reyes and Garbo had the surgery, said the wait for a deceased donor can be up to 10 years long, and many don’t make it while they wait, which is why living donors can make the difference.

Dr. Shiang-Cheng Kung, medical director of Sutter Health’s Living Donor Program, said most people just aren’t aware they can donate while living.

By the numbers:

"I usually tell my patients to always go on the deceased waiting list as a backup but try to get a living donor if you can," said Kung. "The wait time for deceased donor is too long. Right now, the wait in California is somewhere between 7 to 10 years."

He added that only about 22,000 transplant surgeries are performed each year, but 30,000 people are on dialysis.

 Kung said this story of hope serves as an important reminder during National Donate Life Month. 

While it can feel vulnerable to ask, living donors like Garbo said it’s rewarding.

"Don’t be afraid to give," Garbo encouraged others. Garbo added that if he had not been a match for Reyes, he would have donated anyway to ensure his friend’s name would be moved higher on the transplant list.

What's next:

Reyes said he plans to use his new lease on life to give hope to others waiting for a transplant.

"There’s sometimes 25 people in each session during treatment who sometimes need to just talk to someone," Reyes said. "I will be that person."

Reyes returns to deliver his first mass on April 26, and on May 3, both priests will share a service at St. Augustine’s.