Peritoneal Dialysis, Transplant, and a Full Life

Margrette Mondillo had never heard much about dialysis. When she received an unexpected kidney disease diagnosis, she learned about her treatment options and chose to do home peritoneal dialysis (PD).

That's when she met home therapies nurse Sarah McLaughlin. Sarah reached out before Margrette's first appointment just to talk. "Sarah didn't save my life that day," Margrette says. "But she saved my sanity, which was the first step in saving my life."

Sarah reassured Margrette that she could do her own treatment, and she wouldn't be doing it alone. With that encouragement, Margrette felt more confident.

Thanks to a flexible treatment schedule on PD, Margrette did more than manage — she thrived. She kept working full time without missing a beat. "She'd be sitting in the chair [doing dialysis], doing her makeup, getting ready for a conference call," Sarah recalls, smiling.

While Margrette was doing well on PD, her hope was to one day receive a kidney transplant. She explored every option including a paired kidney exchange program, sometimes called a kidney swap. Her social worker, Adriana Anello, supported her throughout her journey.

"Finding the right match takes time," Adriana says. "I help guide people through that process every step of the way."

It took time and patience, but eventually, Margrette got her match.