07May/19

2 Texas siblings undergo kidney transplants, same donor – mySA

2 Texas siblings undergo kidney transplants, same donor  mySA

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — For years, John Shepperd and Kim Azar Shepperd have known both their children would eventually need kidney transplants. The San Antonio Express-News reports the siblings, Ava and John Ben Shepperd, were born with cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes a type of amino acid to accumulate in the cells. The once-fatal disease, which affects several hundred people across the country, can damage multiple organs, particularly the eyes and kidneys, necessitating transplants early in life. The family had joked that all they needed was one donor who could provide kidneys f…