Becoming a mother is often a time of immense joy and anticipation. However, for Rhonda Hale, the arrival of her daughter brought an unexpected, life-altering diagnosis. This revelation set her on a challenging journey, ultimately leading to a difficult decision — one that would restore her health and transform her life forever.
An unexpected, life-changing diagnosis
Rhonda, a hairdresser and special needs educator, moved to Phoenix in 1999, hoping for sunnier skies and warmer weather. Less than a year later, she and her husband learned that they were expecting a daughter. During her pregnancy, Rhonda was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, a condition that affects how the body processes glucose, causing elevated blood sugar levels. For most women, blood sugar levels return to normal shortly after delivery. However, for Rhonda, this was not the case. “When I got pregnant with my daughter, I got gestational diabetes,” recalls Rhonda. “But my diabetes never went away and that’s what started the journey.”
After giving birth, Rhonda’s blood sugar levels remained elevated, and she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Her first months as a new mother were marked by frequent doctor’s appointments, new medications and a complete shift in her lifestyle. “I was running, I was on a special diet, I was doing everything,” says Rhonda. Despite her best efforts, complications arose. She developed peripheral neuropathy and gastroparesis, a condition where the stomach muscles can’t move food properly for digestion.
“It was 25 years of trying to control my blood sugar, which was really hard,” says Rhonda. “And then my kidneys started to fail.”
The decision to undergo a kidney and pancreas transplant
As Rhonda’s kidney function began to decline, her doctors started closely monitoring her condition. However, in late December 2020, she was hospitalized after her kidneys quickly advanced from stage 2 to stage 4 disease. For a year, Rhonda did her best to manage her kidneys’ decline with a strict nutrition plan. But when her estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which measures how well kidneys remove waste from the blood, decreased to 13%, her doctor recommended dialysis and strongly suggested she consider a transplant.
“It was an emotional roller coaster,” says Rhonda as she considered her options. Her doctor had presented her with a life-altering possibility: not just a kidney transplant, but also the potential for a simultaneous pancreas transplant.
Lavanya Kodali, M.B.B.S., M.D., medical director of the Pancreas Transplant Program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, explains that a simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplant is a common procedure for patients with kidney disease and diabetes. “If patients meet the eligibility criteria, they are offered both transplants. This not only cures diabetes permanently, eliminating the need for blood sugar medications, but also frees them from dialysis by providing a new kidney,” says Dr. Kodali.
Once Rhonda learned she was eligible for a kidney and pancreas transplant, she knew exactly where she wanted to have the procedure: Mayo Clinic. “I picked Mayo right away because I believe there’s no better place in the world than Mayo,” says Rhonda.
Mayo Clinic in Arizona is a global leader in transplantation whose care teams have extensive experience in all types of transplant procedures, including multi-organ transplantation. In 2024, Mayo Clinic surgeons performed more kidney transplants, sometimes in combination with a pancreas, than any other U.S. transplant center.
The road to recovery and a new lease on life
In just over a month, Rhonda received a match. Wait times for combined organ transplants are often shorter than for single organ transplants. As Dr. Kodali explains, “It’s the way the allocation system is designed in the U.S. If someone needs both a kidney and pancreas, they are higher on the priority list than someone needing just a kidney.”
Dr. Kodali also emphasizes the benefits of combined organ transplants, noting that patients go through only one surgery, one incision and one recovery period. In addition, receiving both organs from a single donor makes it easier to monitor for rejection.
After her transplant, Rhonda’s journey to recovery was challenging, but her determination and the support of her family and medical team carried her through. Within a year, she noticed a drastic improvement in her quality of life.
“Not being diabetic has been unbelievable. That, to me, is a miracle. I mean, I can’t even tell you; it makes me cry to say this,” says Rhonda as she mentions the joy of enjoying ice cream again.
“This procedure really changes patients’ lives,” echoes Dr. Kodali. “Before transplantation, they had to plan their whole lives around managing their diabetes; everything revolved around insulin, and not having to think about it is amazing.”
Today, Rhonda is enjoying life free from the constraints of diabetes and kidney disease. She is able to spend more time with her daughter and enjoy long walks with her dog in the warm Arizona sun.
Reflecting on her journey, she says “How do you thank someone for saving your life? I guess I can only say, ‘Thank you.’ Thank you, Mayo Clinic, for giving me my life back.”
Learn more
To learn more about kidney and pancreas transplants, visit Mayo Clinic. Or, consider becoming a living organ donor today, a gift that can help save lives.
