General Questions

How old are you?

16

Where are you from?

Fresno, CA

Transplant

What was your transplant?

kidney, received Nov 22, 2010

What was your condition that led to the transplant?

kidney failure, biliary atresia

What was life like before transplant?

My life was good. But on most days I was slowing down and trying to keep up with other kids but that sickness eventually go to me.

How long did you wait for your transplant?

at least a week

How was the road to recovery?

It was hard but it got a little bit easier every day. I went to the Ronald McDonald House but I had to go back to the hospital and my mom was freaking out. She almost passed out.

What can you do now after transplant?

Go out, have fun, be with my friends.

What are you most excited about after being healthy?

Just being free and not being sick.

Donor

Do you know your donor?

No.

Would you like to meet your donor family?

Yes, I want to see how they’re coping and how they’re doing. He’s living, but through me.

What do you know about your donor?

He was male and 10-years-old. He was in a car crash and was on life support.

How is it having a boyfriend who also has a transplant?

It’s special that you share the same thing and know what each person is going through.

Do you support each other?

Yes.

Yes, very much so.

In what way?

Emotionally, physically, mentally.

What would you say to people considering to be an organ donor?

Do it because not a lot of people have the chance to do it.

Camila had three transplants. She underwent a heart transplant on September 14, 2004. Then she underwent a heart transplant on February 10, 2019, immediately followed by a kidney transplant on February 11, 2019.

General Questions

How old are you?

16

Where are you from?

South Lake Tahoe; Hayward

1st Transplant – Heart

What was your transplant?

Heart, received September 14, 2004

What was your condition that led to the transplant?

Cardiomyopathy

Why did you have two hearts?

My lungs weren’t working on their own and my heart wasn’t functioning.

Where did the two hearts come from?

One was my native heart and the other was the donor heart

How did that work?

My native heart and my donor heart were connected. My native heart pumped blood to the whole body and my donor heart pumped blood to my lungs.

How was the road to recovery?

I have no idea. I was 22 months when I got that.

Why did it not work out?

My donor heart stopped working and my artery started closing. I got coronary artery disease and it led to my second transplant.

When were you placed on the list?

14

How did your heart hold up that long?

Medicine.

My first heart transplant lasted 14 years.

Did you feel tired with your failing heart?

Tiring, because I couldn’t do much and the doctors put me on Milrinone and I felt better but I felt trapped.

Camilla led a normal life until 14, when everything dropped.

2nd Transplant – Heart & Kidney

What was your transplant?

Heart & Kidney

What was your condition that led to the transplant?

For the heart, it was coronary artery disease. They replaced her kidney because they didn’t want her kidneys to fail later after transplant.

How long did you wait for your transplant?

2 years

What was it like when they told you a heart was available?

I was so emotional I cried. Finally, my life can get back to normal.

How was the road to recovery?

It was hard cause I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t walk, eat, and I had to go to rehab to relearn everything. I had a tracheostomy and I couldn’t eat for 3 months. I had it until March and June 18 they took it out.

How does it feel now?

It’s back to normal. All I needed was my transplant and to get that PICC line out of me.

How do you predict it’ll be in a year?

Still good.

Camila said same or better, but she’s leaning towards better.

What are you most excited about after being healthy?

Travel. Because I couldn’t travel before.

Donor

1st Transplant – Heart

Do you know your donor?

No.

What do you know about your donor?

They were from San Francisco.

Would you like to meet your donor family?

Yes. To thank them that they were willing to give up their loved one and donate their organs to save someone else.

2nd Transplant – Heart & Kidney

Do you know your donor?

No.

Would you like to meet your donor family?

Yes. For the same reason.

How do you try to live your life now?

As normal as possible.

What would you say to people considering to be an organ donor?

You should consider it because it could save many people’s lives and even children. You could get closure knowing your loved one lives through someone else.

General Questions

How old are you?

16

Where are you from?

Menlo Park, CA

Transplant

What was your transplant?

heart, received May 2005, when he was 2

What was your condition that led to the transplant?

restrictive heart cardiomyopathy

What can you do now after transplant?

Surprisingly, a lot of things. I can do anything except contact sports. If I tried, I could have more stamina.

Are you glad you didn’t remember your transplant?

I think so. It probably would’ve been pretty scary.

Donor

Do you know your donor?

No.

Do you wish you knew your donor family?

I think so. I think it’d be pretty interesting and nice to meet them.

Were there any complications after transplant?

Yes. I have to do biopsies to check my rejection. During my last biopsy it touched my atrium wall and my heart stopped. I had to stay in the hospital overnight so they could check me.

Are you living an active lifestyle?

Yeah. I am a ski coach for a ski resort.

What are you most excited about after being healthy?

I don’t really know I guess. I get to be a pretty normal kid and not different from others.

Do you consider yourself normal?

Sometimes. I definitely think I have it better than the other kids here.

What would you say to people considering to be an organ donor?

Thank you, I guess. It’s a good thing to do. Very generous.

General Questions

How old are you?

14

Where are you from?

California

Transplant

What was your transplant?

double lung, received June 4, 2014, at 9

What was your condition that led to the transplant?

cystic fibrosis, which is genetic

What was life like before transplant?

It was… I definitely was separated from other kids.

Doris didn’t play on a playground. She carried a tank and people wondered. Doris was also weak.

How long did you wait for your transplant?

1 year

How was the road to recovery?

It took a while. I was in a coma for about a week. The whole process took about 3-4 months.

What can you do now after transplant?

I go to public school – a charter school. Now I get to play sports like other kids and be free.

Why do you think you’re the only lung transplant recipient in this camp?

Well, other than it being rare.

A pediatric lung transplant is rare. 1 in 39 pediatric patients waiting on the list for a lung transplant receive it. The older you get, the worse cystic fibrosis hits you. Most people get to 18 and that’s it.

Doris’s friend was 15, and he died then. Cystic fibrosis is also not well known.

The thing that gets me irritated is that doctors wait until you’re dying – dying to place you on the list, and once you’re on the list you don’t know how long it’s gonna take.

Why do they wait so long?

Just because so many other people need lungs – such as smokers and cancers – they put it off. They think you have time, unlike others.

Also, finding the perfect size is hard.

What can combat that?

Honestly, I think that everything has been done pretty good.

Doris also wants more advocacy for cystic fibrosis.

Every treatment you take away from her, every day you’re taking from her life.

Do you feel isolated?

Yes, that’s the word.

The people I do relate to don’t last that long.

General Questions

How old are you?

13

Where are you from?

Portland, Oregon

Transplant

What was your transplant?

liver, received May 30, 2014, when she was 8

What was your condition that led to the transplant?

autoimmune hepatitis

What was life like before transplant?

A lot like I was now, but I was happier

How long did you wait for your transplant?

2 weeks

How was the road to recovery?

It was very easy. I don’t remember exactly how long I was at the Ronald McDonald House but it was at least 2 weeks. They did a lot of stuff to make sure I didn’t break down or anything. My parents made sure I didn’t go back into rejection.

What can you do now after transplant?

I can do lots of things, but I can not do a lot of things. A lot of jobs I can’t do: I can’t be a police officer, I can’t even be in the science department of the police.

What are you most excited about after being healthy?

I am most excited to live my life. So far I haven’t had any major health complications, and I’m really healthy. So I’m excited that I can do anything in the future.

Donor

Do you know your donor?

No.

Was it a male or a female? How old were they?

Female, 6.

Do you want to know your donor family?

Yes, very badly.

Because I want to know why they donated their daughter’s organs and see if they also donated their heart, kidneys, or other organs and thank them for not letting me die.

What do you do to celebrate on your transplant date?

A lot… dinner. A very good dinner. We do a really nice dinner and then a yearly post on Facebook.

What would you say to someone considering to be an organ donor?

Do it because it saves lives, literally. And it’s a good thing to do. Giving someone your organ is really awesome.

Did you give your liver a persona?

I call my scar my mustache. My drain tube is my second belly button.