A Life-Saving Match: How One Kidney Donation United Strangers and Shined a Light on Pediatric Transplant Needs

The following content is created in partnership with Stanford Medicine Children's Health. It does not reflect the work or opinions of the NBC Bay Area editorial staff. Click here to learn more about Stanford Medicine Children's Health.

Every 8 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list, with over 103,000 individuals currently waiting to find a lifesaving match. And every April, Donate Life Month reminds us of the profound importance of organ donation. Few stories illustrate the impact of organ donation better than Aubrey and Sumi’s. Aubrey Brazier was enjoying life as a happy and active 15-year-old until a routine sports physical led to a devastating kidney failure diagnosis. Her unique health needs added another layer of difficulty to the already complex process of finding a donor match. But thanks to Stanford Medicine Children’s Health's Pediatric Transplant Center and the generosity of a stranger, the stars aligned to match Brazier to Sumi Wideman, the selfless organ donor who saved her life. 

The complexities of finding a donor match

Aubrey’s path to transplant care began when an unexpected spike in blood pressure during a sports physical led to further testing, which revealed she was in stage four kidney failure. With no prior medical issues, the diagnosis was a shock—and her treatment journey required more than just a willing donor. Brazier was highly sensitized, meaning her body had developed antibodies against about 85% of the population. This drastically narrowed the list of potential donors and made finding a match especially difficult.

For many patients like Brazier, it’s not just a matter of waiting for a kidney to become available—it’s waiting for the right kidney. Her Pediatric nephrologist, Paul Grimm, MD, explains that while most children can expect to wait one to two years for a transplant, highly sensitized patients may wait significantly longer. In 2024 alone, only 827 children in the U.S. received kidney transplants, even though more than 1,200 are on the waiting list. Many physiological requirements must be met before a transplantation can take place from blood type to organ size, leaving patients like Brazier with limited options. Additionally, the vast majority of donated organs come from deceased donors, and kidneys are only viable for transplantation for about 24 to 36 hours, making timing one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome. 

Getting matched with Sumi and the importance of living donors

Doctors found Brazier’s perfect match not through the national registry, but through the kindness of a stranger. Sumi Wideman, a neonatal intensive care nurse from California, initially volunteered to donate a kidney to a friend’s child. When another match was found for the child, Wideman had already begun the initial phases of the process, and she decided “It doesn’t have to be him. I can help another child.” That selfless decision made her part of the National Kidney Registry’s Paired Kidney Exchange—a system designed to pair incompatible donor-recipient pairs with others, effectively expanding the donor pool and increasing the chances of finding a perfect match.

Aubrey’s surgical team at Stanford Children’s—home to the country’s top pediatric kidney transplant program by volume—immediately saw the potential. Thomas Pham, MD, surgical director of Pediatric Kidney Transplant, explained that a successful match like Sumi's greatly lowers the risk of rejection and can extend the life of the donated kidney. Living donors, like Sumi, offer the best outcomes, as their organs tend to function longer and more effectively than those from deceased donors. According to the National Kidney Registry, around 6,000 people donate a kidney annually in the U.S., but only 5% of those are Good Samaritan donors who give to strangers. Sumi was one of them.

A successful transplant and post-op teenage life 

Aubrey and Sumi underwent their surgeries on the same day, part of a carefully orchestrated exchange involving multiple donors and recipients. Although Sumi’s kidney ultimately went to another patient, Aubrey received hers through the same paired exchange system—making their connection symbolic and deeply meaningful. Recovery for both went smoothly, thanks in part to Stanford Children’s minimally invasive approach and comprehensive pre- and post-op care for donors and recipients. “Every child will need more kidney transplants in the future, but we want the first to be such good quality that they don’t need one for a long way down the road,” Dr.  Pham says.

Today, Aubrey is back to being a vibrant teen. She’s a junior in high school, working her first job, volunteering in her church’s media and children’s ministry, and dreaming about traveling to Morocco—courtesy of a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She’s also looking forward to attending Stanford Children’s Transplant Camp this summer, a celebration of second chances and new beginnings.

Perhaps the most touching part of Aubrey and Sumi’s story is the bond they’ve formed since the transplant. The two met during a follow-up appointment, discovering they shared a passion for caregiving—Aubrey wants to become a nurse, just like Sumi. They remain in touch, with Aubrey’s mom, Tiffany, sharing milestones and health updates that underscore just how life-changing Sumi’s gift was.

“I definitely have much more energy and a better quality of life than I had before the transplant,” Aubrey says. “Now, I take life more seriously and I am treating my body well so my kidney will last the most years it can.”

Sumi, too, says the experience transformed her. “It’s really true. I feel good all the time,” she says. “By donating, I also received a gift.”

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health’s Pediatric Transplant Center provides pediatric care for those suffering from a variety of internal ailments. To learn more about organ donation and discover how you can save a life today, please click here.