A perfect match: Kidney donation program brings 8 people together
For 4 patients in need of kidneys, Geisinger’s living donor program was the gift of a lifetime.
Todd Cline’s kidneys were failing. The 60-year-old was undergoing home dialysis and placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. In early 2024, Mr. Cline’s wife, Dawn Cline, stepped up to donate one of her kidneys to her husband.
But it turned out the Lewistown couple weren’t a good match — in a medical sense. Ms. Cline decided instead she’d donate a kidney to a stranger who was compatible. Her decision touched off a remarkable chain of events at Geisinger Medical Center: Four willing donors, including Ms. Cline, who were not a match with their intended recipients, were instead paired with 4 strangers on the national kidney transplant waiting list.
The 4 recipients and 4 donors participated in Geisinger’s living donor paired donation program, which pairs a donor with a match and finds a new match for the patient who needs a kidney.
Through the living donor program, recipients may not have to wait as long for a kidney as they would being on the transplant waiting list. That means less time on dialysis — or perhaps avoiding it entirely.
Piecing together a miracle
The 4 kidney transplants took place in May and June 2024:
Ms. Cline donated a kidney to Austin Catherman of Mifflinburg, Pa.
- Mr. Catherman’s mother, Patricia Catherman, had volunteered to donate a kidney to her son, but wasn’t an ideal match due to their age difference. Instead, she donated to Guy Higdon of Carbondale, Pa.
- Mr. Higdon’s sister-in-law, Shannon Cheripka, had volunteered to travel from her home in Powder Springs, Ga., to donate to her brother-in-law, but wasn’t a match. So she donated to Joseph Johnson of Wysox, Pa.
- Ben Benjamin of Rome, Pa., had wanted to donate a kidney to his friend Mr. Johnson. But because he wasn’t a match, Mr. Benjamin donated to Todd Cline.
Geisinger living donor coordinator Denise Hall worked with the families and arranged all the matches.
“We’re always looking for internal exchanges, to match pairs we have within our system, but it’s not every day that I deal with an arrangement involving 4 pairs!” Ms. Hall says.
Several of those involved in the 4-way transplant met at a reunion in November 2024, generously funded by Dr. Charlie White.
You can support Geisinger's transplant program, too.
The Cline piece: A wife stepping up to help her husband
What’s it like having a new healthy kidney? At age 60, says Mr. Cline, “I got my life back.”
He adds, “People don’t realize how much dialysis takes from your life. I was going 3 days a week for at least 4 hours away from home.”
Ms. Cline, 49, joined the living donor program to help her husband and another person who needed a kidney.
“We met the other families. They were so grateful. It felt like family,” she said.
If it were possible, Ms. Cline says she’d donate again with no hesitation. “Regardless of what you go through in recovery, it’s all worth it. You saved a life.”
Now that it’s all over, “I feel 100%,” Mr. Cline says. “I went back to work in early August. I tell my wife all the time I owe it all to her — she started all this.”
But he’s grateful to his donor, too, adding, “I message Ben Benjamin from time to time and tell him his kidney is working well in my body.”
Living kidney donation
You can become a living kidney donor and save a life, too. Geisinger’s transplant program will support you throughout the donation process. The procedure is minimally invasive, which means a quicker and easier recovery.
Make a difference today
The Catherman piece: A mother doing what’s best for her son
Though he was just 22, before his kidney transplant, Austin Catherman was always tired and had no energy.
“I slept all the time,” he says. “I couldn’t stay awake to hang out with friends or even work.”
Patricia Catherman, his mother, says he was diagnosed with kidney disease around 2019.
“From the time of his diagnosis, the goal for Austin was to find a living kidney donor before he would require dialysis, and Denise Hall worked diligently to make that happen,” she says.
Ms. Catherman, 63, was happy to participate in the paired donation program. “It was going to help Austin get a kidney sooner and would benefit someone else,” she says. “I have faith in God and it helped me to trust it was happening the way it should.”
Through it all, Mr. Catherman is grateful to Dawn Cline for donating the kidney that turned his life around.
“Today I’m able to stay awake all day, which is nice,” Mr. Catherman says. “I really want to get back to hanging out with friends and riding 4-wheelers with them.”
The Higdon piece: In-laws showing love and appreciation
Guy Higdon, 52, was diagnosed with kidney disease about 8 years ago.
“It came to a head when I needed to go on dialysis and they put me on the transplant list,” he says. “I was no longer able to work and was tired all the time.”
Shannon Cheripka, 53, had hoped to donate a kidney to her brother-in-law, Mr. Higdon. But their blood types weren’t a match.
Still, Ms. Cheripka says, “I wanted to help. If I couldn’t help Guy directly, maybe I could help someone else. I found out Joseph [Johnson] had kidney disease since he was born, and I was a perfect match for him.”
Mr. Higdon is so thankful to Ms. Catherman for donating to him — and he’s amazed at how Geisinger orchestrated the 4-way transplant. “I’m extremely grateful to all,” he says. “It worked out wonderfully for me and my family.”
The Johnson piece: Family friend doing an act of kindness
Joseph Johnson, 31, had kidney disease since he was a baby and was on dialysis for more than 5 years, which drained his energy and stamina. He couldn’t work or exercise.
Thankfully, family friend Ben Benjamin stepped up to donate a kidney.
“My mother donated her kidney for a friend 10 years ago. She led by example,” says Mr. Benjamin, 43. He wanted to do the same for his friend.
“I didn’t match with Joseph, but I found out about the match program and I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ It felt right.”
Mr. Benjamin’s feelings were confirmed when he got to know the recipient. “When I met Todd Cline, I made a friend right away,” he says. “Todd and Dawn are good people. I was glad to do that for them.”
Reflecting on the network-style donation process, Mr. Johnson is grateful that Ms. Cheripka agreed to be his match. “For her to give up a kidney, it’s life-altering,” he says. “I’m excited to get back to work. I returned to the gym, and I’d really like to start traveling.”
This story originally appeared in the spring issue of PA Health, our quarterly full-color magazine filled with wellness tips, inspiring stories and more.
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