CREAM RIDGE, N.J. — Dr. Karen Aitken-Douyon, affectionately known as “Dr. Kaye,” recently celebrated the 14th anniversary of the first of two successful kidney transplants that saved her life, reflecting on her journey of resilience, faith, and advocacy for organ donation.
Dr. Kaye, a pediatric and school-based physical therapist, was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) in her late 20s. The autoimmune disease attacked her kidneys, leading to renal failure after a pulmonary embolism in 2010. She began peritoneal dialysis, but her life changed dramatically when her best friend, Dr. Dale Coffin, donated a kidney in 2010 after Dr. Kaye’s husband, Pierre Douyon, was found incompatible. The successful transplant gave her a “new lease on life.”
In the years that followed, Dr. Kaye returned to school and earned three additional degrees while continuing her professional career. But in 2015, another embolism caused her transplanted kidney to fail, leading her to endure over seven years on dialysis before receiving her second kidney transplant in October 2023 from a deceased donor.
“Facing health challenges tested my resolve, but I never lost hope,” said Dr. Kaye, who credits her strong faith and support from her family and friends. She now serves as a volunteer mentor, encouraging others to consider organ and tissue donation and guiding patients through dialysis decisions.
Despite her health challenges, Dr. Kaye excelled in her career, earning five academic degrees, including a Doctorate of Physical Therapy, and dedicating her work to improving the quality of life for her patients.
“I hope and pray that my story of how the unselfish acts of two individuals changed my life motivates at least one person to consider registering as an organ and tissue donor,” she said.