{"id":87746,"date":"2026-01-14T16:40:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T23:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=87746"},"modified":"2026-01-15T13:44:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T20:44:47","slug":"son-donates-kidney-to-father-giving-family-hope-after-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/son-donates-kidney-to-father-giving-family-hope-after-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Son donates kidney to save his father’s life, bringing healing and hope to a family mourning the loss of one parent"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Francisco
Francisco Javier, left, embraces his father, center. After his mom died of cancer, Francisco Javier stepped up to save his dad’s life through a paired kidney donation. Photo: Ana Gretchen Robleto for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Amid the warm aroma of lovingly prepared food, Francisco Javier Aguayo helped his mother, Gemma Dolores Aguayo, set the Thanksgiving table in 2019.<\/p>\n

His mother, the most influential person in his life, had grown to cherish the meaning of this holiday after immigrating to the United States 40 years earlier.<\/p>\n

That Thanksgiving, as Francisco Javier \u2014 the youngest of her three children \u2014 spoke with his mother, she complained of pain for the first time in her 62 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember we were setting the table, and she mentioned some stomach problems,\u201d Francisco Javier, then 26-years-old, recalled.<\/p>\n

What began as mild discomfort for his mom soon evolved into a health crisis that would bring tough challenges to the entire Aguayo family.<\/p>\n

Gemma saw doctors soon after Thanksgiving and learned that she had gallbladder cancer<\/a> in February 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cancer came out of nowhere. It was devastating,\u201d Francisco Javier said.<\/p>\n

Within nine months, on October 4, 2020, the cancer had killed his mom.<\/p>\n

Like many women, Gemma had been the heart of a family \u2014 the key caregiver and the person who brought everyone together.<\/p>\n

Francisco Javier still treasures the memory of his mother\u2019s face, glowing with happiness and pride at her two daughters\u2019 weddings, some of her most joyful moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother had always been very healthy. She never had any major medical concerns,\u201d said Francisco Javier, 32.<\/p>\n

She had also been the bridge of communication between Francisco Javier and his 69-year-old father, whose name he shares.<\/p>\n

With his mother\u2019s role as the emotional center of the family gone, Francisco Javier and his family had to adapt, finding new ways to support one another.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Francisco Javier inherited his mother\u2019s energetic, optimistic and endlessly resilient spirit. That prepared him well for the next challenge of his life: saving his dad\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

A succession of hardships for the family<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In a twist of fate, another health crisis loomed.<\/p>\n

Just six months after Gemma passed away at age 63, the Aguayo family had to face a new shadow of stress and uncertainty.<\/p>\n

After more than a decade of living with diabetes, Francisco Javier\u2019s dad developed advanced kidney failure<\/a> and was in urgent need of a kidney transplant.<\/p>\n

Tests showed his kidneys were functioning at just 5% of their capacity.<\/p>\n

Once again, Francisco Javier faced the prospect of losing a parent, this time, the only parent he had left.<\/p>\n

\"Francisco
Francisco Javier, left, learned when he was a teenager that his dad had diabetes and might someday need a kidney transplant. From that moment on, Francisco Javier began preparing himself to become a living kidney donor. Today, he enjoys spending time with his father, whom he deeply admires. Photo: Ana Gretchen Robleto for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A decisive moment to become a living kidney donor<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The possibility of losing his father to kidney failure put Francisco Javier on high alert.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my mom passed away, I remember feeling helpless. I couldn\u2019t do anything for her,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The experience of losing his mother only strengthened his resolve to protect those he loves. Helping his father became more urgent than ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing that my father was sick and facing kidney failure, I wasn\u2019t going to lose another parent, especially after everything we went through with my mother,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In that crucial moment, Francisco Javier made the decision to become a living kidney donor for his father. (Learn about being a living donor<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u201cI just stepped forward when I realized he was facing kidney failure,\u201d Francisco Javier said.<\/p>\n

He shared his decision with his family members, who were fully supportive.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family was 100% supportive of my decision, all the time,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n

Francisco Javier\u2019s father was transferred from a Denver hospital to the Transplant Center at UCHealth University of Colorado Anschutz Campus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Francisco Javier donated his kidney to another recipient through UCHealth\u2019s paired kidney exchange program, paving the way for his father to get a kidney transplant.<\/p>\n

Through UCHealth\u2019s Hispanic Transplant Program<\/a>, his father was able to better understand the transplant process, a key step that ultimately led to receiving a kidney.<\/p>\n

On July 1, 2021, Francisco Javier\u2019s father received his new kidney.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father never asked me to do it. For me, it wasn\u2019t even a question. I just wanted to get the process started as soon as possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Francisco Javier had always had a sense that he would step up to help his family.<\/p>\n

He was just 14 when he first learned that his dad had diabetes. From that moment on, he imagined that one day he might face a situation where his father\u2019s life \u2014 and his ability to help \u2014 could be on the line.<\/p>\n

Kidney failure and the need for a transplant <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hispanics have a higher risk of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), mainly due to having a higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, which are common causes of kidney failure.<\/p>\n

Medical experts at the National Kidney Foundation<\/a>\u00a0raised the alarm about the impact of kidney disease on the Hispanic community finding that:<\/p>\n