Teen gets first-of-its-kind kidney transplant thanks to late uncle

Montreal teen gets first-of-its-kind kidney transplant thanks to late uncle.

For 14-year-old Mario Futia, life was never normal — until a first-of-its-kind kidney transplant from his late uncle gave him a second chance.

“It was difficult, in one way, because you have to somewhat pray for someone to pass to give something to you,” Futia said in a recent interview.

“But on the other hand, it was a bittersweet feeling, because at least some part, at the end of the surgery, will be part of you afterwards.”

In December, Futia’s uncle suffered a heart attack and slipped into a coma. His son, Alexandre Rainone, Futia’s cousin, decided to donate his father’s kidney to the teen, so doctors kept the man on life support until the transplant took place in January.

“It was very hard, because now I’m in between my father’s death and saving my cousin’s life,” Rainone said.

The LaSalle teen has been a patient at the Montreal Children’s Hospital since he was born with kidney failure. He received his first transplant at just two years old, but his body rejected it, and he developed antibodies against all kidney donors in Canada.

So, for the past 12 years, Futia has been on dialysis three times a week, four to five hours at a time, whether it’s a school day, weekend, or holiday. He said it took a toll.

Dr. Mallory Downie, a pediatric nephrologist at the hospital, explained that once doctors became aware of a potential donor match, one his body was less likely to reject, they developed a new desensitization protocol for him.

“Which means we were able to decrease the antibodies he had towards that kidney and finally accept that kidney. We were able to transplant Mario with the first desensitized kidney transplant in Canada,” Downie said.

Downie acknowledged there was a lot of uncertainty with this rare and exceptional case and that it required a leap of faith and trust in the system and experts in the field.

“We worked with experts from the United States, our colleagues here at McGill University Health Centre, and relied on many, many experts to guide us in how to do this,” she added.

Futia’s dad, Giuseppe, said that he was thankful for his son’s second chance at living a normal life.

Although the teen will have to go back to the hospital for regular checkups, it’s nothing compared to the burden of dialysis.

“[This transplant is] a second attempt for a new lease on life,” the teen said.

With files from Swidda Rassy