EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — An El Paso man donated his kidney to his mother, who needed a transplant after battling cancer.
Ana Celia Figueroa’s, a retired teacher, journey from a sudden loss of mobility to a successful kidney transplant is a testament to resilience and family support.
Diagnosed with Goodpasture syndrome four years ago, Ana faced a grueling dialysis routine.
“They did a biopsy on my kidneys, and they were they were gone,” said Cecilia.
Her son, Carlos, determined to help, discovered he was a match to donate his kidney after getting tested.
However, a breast cancer diagnosis delayed the transplant.
“It was carcinoma in the milk duck, which was stage zero. Then they referred me to an excellent surgeon. They took care of it,” said Cecilia.
“I had to have 21 days of radiation, and then I had to wait two years before I could start the transplant,” said Cecilia.
“I had a very positive attitude. I wasn’t gonna go into any kind of darkness. It was gonna be all positive,” she said.
“She’s the strongest person I know, like she went through that kidney failure, then cancer on top of that,” said Carlos. “So I was so eager and ready to do my part.”
“It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you handle it,” said Cecilia.
After two years of cancer treatment and achieving remission, Ana and Carlos underwent a successful transplant this summer at Las Palmas Medical Center.
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