Kęstutis Alkimavičius
Kęstutis lives with transplanted lungs – this event became a turning point in his life. Lung transplantation is an extremely rare and complex procedure, and at the time, Kęstutis was only the second patient in Lithuania to undergo such a transplant.
His health challenges began in infancy. At just seven months old, Kęstutis caught a severe cold, and after the illness, his left lung completely stopped functioning. Despite grim predictions that he would not live to see adolescence, Kęstutis managed to survive until the age of twenty. By that time, his lungs were no longer functioning, and his life was supported by an artificial lung machine.
He received the gift of life at the age of twenty-five when he successfully underwent a lung transplant. Since then, his life has completely changed – he regained strength, the ability to breathe independently, and began a new chapter of life.
Currently, Kęstutis works as a social worker at Didvyžiai Social Care Home, where he actively cares for community members. He organizes events, creative workshops, and social inclusion activities that help residents feel important and integrated into the community’s life. Kęstutis inspires the residents not only with his work but also with his life story, showing that even in the most challenging situations, one should not give up, and it is possible to experience a miracle that brings back the joy of life.
Danguolė Kazlovienė
At the age of fifteen, Danguolė first heard the diagnosis of glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidney’s glomeruli). The disease progressed slowly for 20 years, gradually destroying her kidneys until, at 36, she was diagnosed with kidney failure. „I started feeling nauseous, couldn’t eat, had no energy, only drank water, and my body swelled from the fluids. I went to the doctors, and they started dialysis. For the first year, I could still work, but the last four years of dialysis were very hard: constant thirst, blood pressure dropping right after dialysis, and I even fainted a few times.”
Before her illness, Danguolė knew nothing about organ donation and transplantation. Only after starting hemodialysis did she begin researching online for information that would help her move forward: „I was so lucky to come across the name ‘Gyvastis.’ I reached out to them. I learned everything I needed from people who were in the same situation as me. I asked many questions, and they helped me understand myself and what lay ahead.”
Danguolė says that her family played a crucial role in helping her endure, not allowing her to feel alone: „My mom, husband, and daughter didn’t let me break down – they believed in me.” Mentally preparing for a donor and a transplant is extremely challenging. To others facing this situation, she offers this advice: „Find people with the same experience, join support groups. Conversations with them really strengthen and give you courage.”
After seven and a half years, Danguolė finally received the life-changing call. She became the first patient to receive a kidney from a donor with a non-beating heart. When the heart stops, there is very little time to maintain the viability of organs, as without blood flow, organs remain viable only for a short period. Since 2016, when Lithuania started preparing non-beating heart donors, only a handful have been prepared.
„I believed that everything would be fine, I trusted the doctors and fate. After all, there was no other option.” Asked how she feels eight years after the transplant, Danguolė beams with a wide smile: „I feel very good now! I love life more than ever. I cherish every day, every moment that donation and the transplant have given me. That’s why I am so active in promoting organ donation. I want as many people as possible to hear about it. In school and library meetings, we talk and debunk myths, and I always present myself as an example – after a transplant, a person can live an active and fulfilling life.”
When you go through a tough period, you start to value the time when nothing hurts, and you can enjoy every moment: „Now I am delighted by life itself – I love it. I love all people. I love all four seasons. I love and often visit the sea – whenever I want, I go there. What is my dream? I already have everything! I am happy and grateful. Every morning I give thanks for being alive and being able to… drink a lot of water! Only those who know what dialysis and eternal thirst are will understand,” Danguolė says with overflowing positivity.