Dr. Shaw Is Helping Raise Awareness for Kidney Donors in Austin

At Austin Urology Institute, our mission extends beyond treating everyday urologic conditions; we are deeply dedicated to life-saving care across Central Texas. Recently, local news station KVUE highlighted the compelling story of Marlon Kelley, a 45-year-old Austin resident who has spent the last three years on dialysis while searching for a life-saving kidney donor.

In the feature, our lead urologist, Dr. Koushik Shaw, who serves as a living donor surgeon at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center,  lent his expert medical insight to break down the critical need for living organ donors and explain what the donor process looks like.

The Reality of the Transplant Waitlist

For patients undergoing kidney failure, dialysis is a vital treatment that performs the work of healthy kidneys by filtering waste from the blood. However, long-term dialysis can lead to increasing health complications.

As Dr. Shaw shared with KVUE, patients waiting for a deceased donor kidney can remain on the waitlist for three to five years or longer. For individuals like Marlon, who has spent three years on dialysis while recovering from a stroke and undergoing extensive physical therapy, finding a donor is urgent.

“If you’re waiting for a kidney on the deceased list, that waitlist can be three to five years, or longer… That donor is throwing a life preserver to help somebody else out, to save their life. But we want to make sure in the process of trying to save somebody else, they don’t get themselves into trouble.”

— Dr. Koushik Shaw

How Living Donation Works (and How Paired Donation Helps)

Living kidney donation significantly shortens wait times and offers better long-term outcomes for patients. Even if a willing donor is not a direct match for a specific recipient, paired kidney donation allows a donor to give a kidney to another compatible individual on behalf of their loved one, moving their recipient up the transplant list.

Dr. Shaw emphasized that donor safety is always the top priority. Potential living donors undergo a rigorous 3- to 4-month screening process evaluating physical and psychological health to ensure the procedure can be performed safely without impacting the donor’s long-term wellness.

How You Can Help Marlon Kelley

Marlon’s goal is simple: he wants to return to work, drive, spend quality time with his family, and get back to living a full life.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about becoming a living donor or completing a donor screening to help Marlon and others in need, please visit the official news story and donor resources:

👉 Learn More & Help Marlon Kelley Find a Kidney Donor

World-Class Care at Austin Urology Institute

Dr. Shaw and the team at Austin Urology Institute bring decades of expertise in minimally invasive, robotic, and complex surgical care to patients across Central Texas. Whether managing kidney health, stone disease, or complex urologic conditions, our team is here to support you with advanced medicine and compassionate care.

To schedule a consultation at one of our Central Texas locations, contact Austin Urology Institute today.