Kansas City, KS – A Kansas mother of four wanted to save the life of a little boy she'd never met. When Kenna LaRue learned she wasn't a kidney match for him, she decided to help a stranger instead. Her donation to a woman in Texas sparked an extraordinary chain of generosity, resulting in 12 kidney transplants involving 24 people across eight states, including two children. The chain ultimately came full circle, ending at The University of Kansas Health System, where it began.
Morning Rounds: Expanding Access to CAR-T Therapy
Dr. Al-Ola Abdallah, Clinical Director of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Dr. Abdallah discusses an upcoming conference focused on CAR-T therapy and expanding access to this potentially curative treatment for certain blood cancers.
- He explains why many eligible patients may still be unfamiliar with CAR-T therapy despite advances in treatment.
- He shares what physicians hope to accomplish through the conference and why improving access to CAR-T matters to patients and families.
Kenna LaRue, Living Kidney Donor
She saw a Facebook post about a 4-year-old Kansas boy who needed a kidney and volunteered to be tested.
Although she wasn't a match for the child, she donated her kidney to a stranger in Waco, Texas, on December 10, 2025.
Her decision helped launch one of the longest kidney transplant chains in the health system's history, ultimately helping 12 recipients, including two children.
She discusses returning to her active lifestyle and why she encourages others to consider living organ donation.
Dr. Sean Kumer, Transplant Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer, Kansas City Division, The University of Kansas Health System
Dr. Kumer explains how kidney transplant chains allow donors who aren't compatible with their intended recipients to help other patients. Additionally, he explains living donors have the right to withdraw, even immediately before surgery.
He discusses the complexity of coordinating 12 transplants across multiple hospitals and states.
Explains the surgical process of removing a kidney from a healthy donor and the precautions taken to protect donor health.
Discusses why some patients, including children, are especially difficult to match with compatible kidneys.
Addresses long-term health considerations for living kidney donors and how living donation expands transplant opportunities.
Jaime Bartley, Director of Nursing, Center for Transplantation, The University of Kansas Health System
Jaime explains the extensive medical and emotional evaluation required before someone can become a living kidney donor.
She discusses how transplant teams support donors before surgery, throughout recovery and during long-term follow-up.
She discusses how transplant teams prepare donors and families for the physical and emotional challenges of recovery.
She shares details about the transplant center team's recent nomination for an excellence award by the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation.
She said The Health System's transplant team was nominated for an excellence award by the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation, which involves more than 60 transplant centers.