Working in the health care industry, Beth Burbridge knew to expect medical risks when she volunteered to donate a kidney to her neighbor’s son in early 2019.
What Burbridge didn’t expect was the potential financial risks associated with her decision.
Her company wasn’t required to give her paid time off following the intensive procedure, hospital employees informed her. And she could be denied health or life insurance because she’d had the surgery.
Other states have laws in place that alleviate the risks or offer protection to live organ donors, Burbridge learned. But in Kentucky, there are none.
Burbridge wanted to go through with the surgery. Her kidney’s recipient, Jackson Alldaffer, was struggling with just 6% kidney function.
But before Burbridge’s wounds had even healed, she was writing to lawmakers, asking for their help.
“Prospective living donors currently have to be willing to not only go through surgery and recovery, but they must also take on the financial impact for lost wages and the emotional toll of knowing their long term health, disability and life insurance is not guaranteed,” Burbridge wrote.
“These are the concerns for prospective living donors while they balance a decision that means life or death for another individual.”
The letters caught the attention of elected city and state officials, who agreed to propose legislative changes.
State Rep. Jerry Miller, a Louisville Republican, prefiled a bill ahead of the 2020 general assembly that would provide state employees up to 30 days of paid leave if they donate an organ — including any part of the intestine, kidney, liver, lung or pancreas — or up to five days of paid leave if they donate bone marrow.
The bill also would allow Kentucky residents who donate an organ a tax deduction up to $10,000 for related expenses — including travel expenses, lodging, child care and lost wages.
The bill was approved by a state committee Thursday and will now move onto the full House.
In Kentucky, more than 900 people need organs that can be transplanted from living donors, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
Last year, just 328 organs were transplanted in Kentucky, including 43 from living donors.
Burbridge, Miller and Piagentini said the goal of the legislation is to encourage more people to consider donating.
If Burbridge hadn’t, Alldaffer might not have found a match.
The now-25-year-old was diagnosed with an ultra-rare form of dense deposit disease as a child, and his parents knew he’d likely need a kidney transplant as a young adult, said his mother, Mindy White.
Burbridge said the only time she felt overwhelmingly stressed during the process was when she discovered her company considered the surgery an elective procedure — and she’d have to use vacation or sick days to cover any time she took off.
Recovery for a transplant surgery generally lasts four to six weeks.
Burbridge, who works from home, returned to her job after six days.
Burbridge, Miller and Piagentini said they hope legislation that allows paid time off for city and state employees would encourage companies to consider their own policies.
Burbridge said she called her company again after the state bill was filed and explained the financial barriers that organ donors could face.
The company agreed to cover future transplant surgeries under short-term disability.
“We want to make it clear that, for what is a very small, tiny risk to (businesses’) financial statements, this could be spreading a life-saving opportunity for members of our community,” Piagentini said.
