“With every procedure I’ve had at CBMC, the staff from each department, from the lab, to radiology, to the emergency room, were always so nice.”
Sarah Ruiz, 60, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 1992. Six years later, she received her first kidney transplant from her half-sister at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, part of RWJBarnabas Health. That transplant served her well for 17 years before eventually failing, leading her to begin dialysis, a difficult road that lasted seven years.
“Those years were long and tough,” Sarah recalled. “During that time, I had multiple surgeries at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, including a cardiac quadruple bypass, so my goal of receiving another kidney transplant was put on hold more than once. However, I kept working hard to heal by doing therapy to become healthy enough to be a candidate for another transplant. I was finally ready to be on the transplant list and received my new kidney.”
In 2021, Sarah received a second kidney transplant at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC), the 6th largest kidney transplant program in the United States. Her journey came with challenges, but Bindu Nandigam, MD, Sarah’s nephrologist at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, was a relentless advocate.
“I can’t say enough about Dr. Nandigam. From the first time I met her, she pushed for me every step of the way. She is not only an amazing transplant physician, she’s an angel,” Sarah shared.
“The surgeons and the entire transplant team at CBMC were superb,” she continued. “With every procedure I’ve had at CBMC, the staff from each department, from the lab, to radiology, to the emergency room, were always so nice.”
Sarah’s transplant was a success, and she celebrates nearly four years with her second kidney. Her donor, a person around her age who passed away from a heart attack, gave her the gift of life.
“Freedom. That’s what this transplant has given me,” she said. “It means no more dialysis. I can travel. I go to the gym. I garden. I can enjoy my family and live the life I missed during those years tied to the dialysis chair.”
“For patients like Sarah, transplantation is not just a treatment, but a transformative experience that restores quality of life and independence,” shares Dr. Nandigam.
Sarah now volunteers with the CBMC Transplant Team. She spoke at the 2025 Transplant Symposium in March, and became a peer mentor with the Renal Network of New Jersey and the National Kidney Foundation. She focuses on teaching patients on the kidney transplant waitlist, especially in Spanish communities, about the transplant process, helping them navigate insurance, nephrology appointments, and transplant evaluations.
“When I was going through this, I wish I had a mentor. I said, ‘If I ever get out of this chair, that’s what I am going to do.’ And now I do. I love it.”
As Sarah continues to speak out on the importance of mentorship and education for patients, she also encourages others to consider the life-changing impact of organ donation.
“One doesn’t have to be in the perfect state of health to be organ donor,” explains Dr. Nandigam. “One donor can save eight lives, and heal more than 75 lives through tissue donation.”
“I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’m happy. This transplant saved my life,” said Sarah.
To register as an organ donor, visit registerme.org/cbmc.
Learn more about the Renal and Pancreas Transplant Division at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.