“A Second Chance”: The complicated procedure that saved an El Paso man’s life
A health ailment that's all too common among Borderland residents took a serious toll on one El Paso man in particular.
This week, ABC-7 is sharing his story in hopes of educating others and hopefully preventing the same fate - or worse.
Anthony Molinar was 32 years old when he had to begin dialysis.
Not only was this the latest hurdle he was facing since being diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 6, but he was undergoing this intensive treatment in June of 2020, months into a global pandemic.
"I knew that that was the last step before you go. And I don't know," Molinar told ABC-7. He paused as his eyes welled up with tears. "I didn't have much hope."
Molinar needed a kidney transplant. But because diabetes can damage kidney tissue, he was also eligible for a pancreas, the organ that controls the body's blood sugar level.
The transplant organs typically come from one person, and the wait is on average 3 years for both organs. A simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplant is fairly common, but not performed here. Molinar would have to fly at a moment's notice to Dallas.
Molinar told ABC-7 about when he got word that after 2 years and 8 months, he was going to get a double transplant. You can watch a clip of that interview in this article.
Watch my special report, "A Second Chance", Thursday, May 4, only on ABC-7 at 10.
