Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital made history with its first remote living donor kidney transplant, giving 18-year-old Arianna Crockett a new kidney and a new beginning.

In a remarkable feat of logistics and medical coordination, the organ embarked on a carefully orchestrated cross-country journey, traveling nearly 2,000 miles. The life-saving kidney transplant connected Arianna, a Deerfield Beach resident, with living kidney donor Sara Gips Goodall of Colorado, the wife of one of Arianna’s distant relatives.

Through the National Kidney Registry’s remote donation program, Sara was able to donate her kidney close to home while the organ was flown in and successfully delivered to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital for Arianna’s pediatric kidney transplant in South Florida.

Arianna has been under the care of Karezhe Mersha, MD, pediatric nephrologist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, for almost two years. The teen was born with STAR Syndrome, a rare congenital condition associated with kidney abnormalities. At age eight, she underwent a nephrectomy to remove one of her kidneys.

Years of recurrent urinary tract infections and a neurogenic bladder steadily damaged her remaining kidney, eventually leading to kidney failure that required immediate dialysis treatments three times a week. After a severe infection in January, it was determined that a kidney transplant was Arianna’s only path forward.

“This transplant represents more than a medical procedure. It represents hope, resilience and the extraordinary generosity of a living donor," said Linda Chen, MD, surgical director of the Living Donor and Pediatric Abdominal Transplant program at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. “Living donor kidney transplants can provide three to four times longer-lasting outcomes than kidneys from deceased donors, making living donors a critical lifeline for more years of health for our patients.”

Living donor kidney transplants are associated with significantly better long-term outcomes and often allow patients to return to normal activities sooner. Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is a member of the National Kidney Registry, which expands access to living donor transplantation opportunities for patients and families.

For Arianna and her family, who originally emigrated from Jamaica and now live in Deerfield Beach, the transplant marks the beginning of a new chapter.

"She’s ‘nervous-cited’," said Arianna’s mother, Tracy Evans, describing the mix of excitement and nerves that led up to the procedure. "We are incredibly grateful for this gift of life."

As she recovers, Arianna is looking forward to renewed health and a bright future ahead. She is also excited for a simpler pleasure: enjoying a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce again after years of dietary restrictions.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is the only pediatric kidney transplant program in Broward County and continues to expand access to advanced transplant care for children and young adults throughout South Florida.