After weeks of preparing for dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant, recent Battle Ground High School graduate Jackota Salmi instead received what his family describes as a “one-in-a-billion” gift.
Salmi, who has lived with chronic kidney disease since childhood, underwent a successful kidney transplant on June 24 after a direct deceased donor match connected him with the daughter of one of the longtime friends of his mother, Janette Chumley, from Alaska, now living in Louisiana.
"We were trying to hold off dialysis until after he graduated because it ties you down," Chumley said. "We just wanted him to complete school."
As Salmi's condition worsened after graduation, doctors scheduled him to begin home dialysis. During the first week of training, Chumley received an unexpected message from her friend in Louisiana asking for Oregon Health & Science University's (OHSU) transplant information.
The following day, OHSU called to say a potential kidney had become available.
At the same time, the potential donor was kept a secret from Chumley and Salmi.
Chumley's friend's daughter, a 30-year old from Louisiana, passed away after complications due to a health problem. The daughter was able to be an organ donor, and her family made a direct donation to Salmi if he was a match.
The match was successful.
"They were a match. Like, what are the chances of that?" Chumley said.
Doctors told the family the direct deceased donor match was extraordinarily rare.
"We were told that it's a one-in-a-billion chance of this happening," Chumley said.
The kidney was flown from Louisiana to Oregon, and Salmi underwent transplant surgery June 24. He spent five days recovering in the hospital before returning home.
"He got the kidney, he got her left kidney, and has done very well," Chumley said.
Salmi ended up never needing dialysis despite preparing for it.
"I got my dialysis port out, or I guess externalized is the fun word that they use, but I just say out," Salmi said. "I got this pulled out on the 11th and then went into transplant 13 days later."
Although recovery has gone well, Salmi said the process has still been challenging, especially the inconvenience of the dialysis port.
"It's like the inconvenience-inator," Salmi said.
Salmi now takes more than 20 pills each morning, primarily anti-rejection medications that suppress his immune system while protecting the transplanted kidney. Despite the demanding recovery, he said he already feels healthier.
"I do feel a lot better now," Salmi said. "Before I was just completely out, tired all the time."
Now, Salmi said he is free of back pain and no longer feels tired on a consistent basis.
Chumley said the improvement has brought relief after years of uncertainty.
"It's much more of an emotional relief, I guess," she said. "Like, OK, he's going to be good. He's going to be fine. He's going to be, you know, things are good."
Earlier this year, Chumley launched a public campaign seeking a living donor, prompting community members to contact the transplant center. While a Battle Ground High School teacher advanced through the screening process before ultimately being ruled out because of age, Chumley said the community's willingness to help meant the world to her.
"I want to thank the community just for reaching out to try to be a donor," she said.
The experience has also strengthened her belief in organ donation.
"I'm such an advocate for organ donation right now," Chumley said. "Just seeing it come to fruition in both of my kids, like, wow."
A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign has also been launched to help support Salmi’s journey. Donations will assist with medical expenses and treatment-related costs, as well as travel expenses for continued appointments.
To learn more, visit gofundme.com/f/support-jackotas-dialysis-and-transplant-journey.
