Finger Lakes man was saved by daughter's organ donation, but NYS enrollment 'unacceptable'

Ken Owen registered as an organ donor several years ago, volunteering his organs for transplant at the time of his death.

At that time he had no idea how critical that decision could be for someone in need.

Owen, of Penn Yan, said in 2019 he first knew his kidneys were starting to fail and he would soon need a kidney transplant.

“I started seeing a nephrologist in January of 2021. I had a doctor’s visit in Canandaigua and during that visit I was told I had to get on the transplant list,” Owen said. “At the time I was told it was a 4-and-a-half to five-year waiting time.”

Owen said on his drive home he called his wife to tell her the results of the doctor's meeting and in turn she called their daughter and son.

“Before my wife got off the phone my daughter, Kelly Montano, said she was going to donate a kidney,” Owen said. “So, she started testing, which took four to five months to complete, but it turned out she was compatible.”

Montano said once she first heard about her father needing a kidney, she did a little research on the issue.

“I knew that we were the same blood type,” Montano said. “So, I talked with him and knew we would be OK if I went through the process to see if we were a match.”

Montano said she went through the entire process, which included a lot of testing, to make sure of her health and to ensure her father would accept the kidney.

“We ended up being a good match,” Montano said.

The surgery was scheduled for July 20, 2021, at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

“At the time of the surgery I was 68-years-old,” Owen said. “I was getting tired prior to the surgery, but I was lucky in the fact that me and my daughter were a match. I didn’t get to where I needed dialysis like many others do. I'm very fortunate.”

Owen said everything went well after the surgery.

“I wasn’t supposed to go back to work for about three months,” Owen said. “I own a dry-cleaning business, so I was able to go back to work within a week. I couldn’t stand being home, so I went back to work. I just couldn’t lift anything heavy. For the longest time I could only lift like five pounds at the most. But eventually I got my strength back.”

Owen said the organ donation surgery made a tremendous impact.

“What a difference in my life,” Owen said. “I mean my life didn't even skip a beat to be honest with you. I’m very fortunate my daughter had the same blood type. I was very lucky.”

Montano agrees.

“I don’t even think about it,” Montano said. “To see him being sick was a very hard thing to watch. Watching him being tired all the time, not having his energy level that he normally had was the hardest thing to watch him go through. He’s now back, he’s active. It’s like the same person I grew up to know.

"To me donating a kidney was worth it and beyond to see him feeling healthy again."

State Assemblyman, regional county clerks rally to encourage organ donations

State Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, R-Corning, and county clerks from Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Seneca and Yates counties recently pointed out to New Yorkers the sobering statistics and why the issue of organ donation is so important.

• There are 103,000 people nationally on the organ donation waitlist and nearly 8,000 of those are New Yorkers.

• 1,100 of those New Yorkers have been waiting for more than five years.

• New York is ranked 50^th of 52 states and territories in terms of enrollment in the country.

• New York has a donor enrollment rate of 47%, while the national rate is 64%.

• New York had the third highest need for organ donors but has the third worst enrollment rate.

• Nearly 400 New Yorkers died in 2023 while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

• One person who donates at the time of their death can save up to up to eight lives and impact the lives of 75 others through the eye tissue donation.

“New York’s organ donor enrollment statistics are sobering and unacceptable,” Palmesano. “We can, and we must do better.”

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Organ donation issue personal for Palmesano

Palmesano said his sister Teresa was a juvenile diabetic, which compromised her health over her lifetime. She was a two-time kidney transplant recipient, the first in 2000 from the kindness of a stranger and again in 2006, when Palmesano donated a kidney to his sister.

“The issue is very personal to me,” Palmesano said. “Although my sister, Teresa, passed away at the age of 50 in 2013, I still tell people Tesesa was lucky. She received two transplants; most people might not even get one. I have seen firsthand how organ donation can impact the quality of life for a family.”

Palmesano said New York state has made good progress over the years, but still has a long way to go.

“New Yorkers are kind and generous people,” Palmesano said. “The more we make them aware and expand access to the Donate Life Program and ask them that important question, do you want to register to be an organ donor, the more New Yorkers who say yes and help save lives.”

Department of Motor Vehicle Commissioner Mark Schroeder, Steuben County Clerk Judy Hunter, Chemung County Clerk Linda Forrest, Yates County Clerk Molly Linehan, Schuyler County Clerk Theresa Philbin, and Seneca County Clerk Christina Lotz all support New Yorkers registering to be an organ donor.

“If you have already registered to be an organ donor, thank you,” Palmesano said. “If you have not, I ask you to please talk to your family about it and please consider becoming an organ donor today.”

If a person would like to register to be an organ donor, visit your local DMV office or simply register online at http://donatelife.ny.gov/register

This article originally appeared on The Leader: How a Finger Lakes man was saved by his daughter's organ donation