APS teacher to receive living donor liver transplant from another teacher at Alamosa

[00:00:00]Good evening, an APS teacher says she's getting a new lease on life after a devastating diagnosis. But thanks to a fellow teacher, she is getting that second chance. News 13's Natasha Lujan joins us in the news Plex with her story.

[00:00:14]>> Second grade teacher Kathleen Gallegos was diagnosed with liver failure in December and was told she was at the bottom of the transplant list. But thanks to another teacher at her school, she was given that chance.

[00:00:26]>> The way that I was feeling, most likely I probably wouldn't have made it.

[00:00:31]>> After Kathleen Gallegos was diagnosed with non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver in December, she could barely walk. She and her husband had lost hope.

[00:00:40]>> I was at the bottom of the list and they told me that my only chance of getting a liver sooner would be to have a living donor.

[00:00:49]>> In April, her friend and fellow teacher at Alamosa Elementary, Lauren Ibada, came forward to get tested.

[00:00:58]>> Kathleen had reached out to me over winter break and she told me that basically she had was going through cirrhosis of the liver and that she wasn't going to come back to work. And she was explaining to me that she was on the list but very low on the list. I just immediately was like, I'll do it.

[00:01:14]>> Kathleen and Lauren met at Alamosa in 2021 and immediately formed a friendship.

[00:01:20]>> As her friend, I want her to be happy and healthy. And I want to be the one to give her that opportunity.

[00:01:28]Watching her go through this journey has It's been a hard and I just I just want her to like live the life that she deserves.

[00:01:38]>> Lauren was a match. Kathleen says she has a new lease on life thanks to the kindness and love of her friend.

[00:01:45]>> Because Lauren has stepped up to do this for me, there's a like a long tunnel and she there's I see a little light at the end of the tunnel, and she's that light for me.

[00:01:59]So, that's why I think I'm feeling better.

[00:02:02]>> Kathleen says she's still trying to decide if she will come back to teaching, but she's now grateful she has a choice.

[00:02:09]>> Because of Lauren, in a year or so, I'll be able to do anything I want.

[00:02:18]>> The surgery is planned for this December in Denver. As part of the living donor procedure, both Castle Kathleen's and Lauren's sections of the liver will regenerate. Back to you.

[00:02:28]>> All right, thank you, Natasha. Kathleen and Lauren both want the community to know anyone can sign up to be a living donor. For more information on that, we will have a link on our website at careque.com.