The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Time is of the essence for Dayton resident Lisa Naylor as she moves up the national transplant waiting list. She has been on the list since 2018; the average wait can take five years or longer.

This week, she will start dialysis to help maintain her level of health as she waits for a new kidney. She will need the treatment for the rest of her life or until she receives a transplant. While a transplant would not cure her kidney disease, it would significantly increase quality and extend her life.

Many Columbia and Walla Walla County residents know Naylor as an active and generous community member. She has organized the annual "Swim the Snake" event at Lyons Ferry since its inception. She has been a part of Camp Wooten for 30 years, working with Dayton sixth graders on the four-day outdoor educational trip.

Working with the "Just a Pool" committee and the Friends of the Dayton Pool, Naylor is committed to bringing back a public pool in Dayton.

Now, Naylor is asking anyone interested in becoming a living kidney donor to contact Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for more information. An online questionnaire to see if you are a possible candidate is available at http://www.sacredheartlivingdonor.org. Donors can name a specific person to receive their kidney or be matched to someone who needs a transplant.

Living-donor organ transplants are associated with fewer complications than deceased-donor transplants and, overall, a longer survival of the donor organ, according to the Mayo Clinic.

National Kidney Registry provided the following information on the estimated timing for testing and surgery:

Screening & Testing

1 Confidential screening/medical history 45 mins

2 Center will contact you 3 days

3 Complete standard workup 3 days

4 Get cleared for donation 1-4 months

Surgery & Recovery

1 Complete Pre-op 1 day

2 Complete surgery 1-5 hours

3 Recover in hospital 1-4 days

4 Refrain from flying 1 week

5 Recover at home 1-4 weeks

*Most people can return to normal activities after 2 – 4 weeks. Donors with physically demanding jobs may need 4 – 6 weeks of recovery before returning to work. High-performance athletes will need six months to a year before returning to pre-donation performance levels.