Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Transplant Services >
  • ... >
  • Kidney Transplant >
  • Patient Stories >
  • Soledad and Manuel
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Candidates
Your Transplant Surgery
Evaluation Clinics
Living-Donor Kidney Transplant
Auto Islet
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Calculator
Your Care Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Candidates
Your Transplant Surgery
Evaluation Clinics
Living-Donor Kidney Transplant
Auto Islet
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Calculator
Your Care Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Soledad Pacheco Leguerica and Manuel Pacheco: Living-Donor Kidney Transplant

Soledad Pacheco Leguerica and Manuel Pacheco

As a phlebotomist working in her native Peru, Soledad could draw her own blood for routine lab tests. That’s how she first realized her creatinine level was rising — an indicator of kidney issues. A follow-up visit to her doctor confirmed she had advanced kidney disease and would eventually need a transplant.

Because she had extended family living in Pennsylvania, Soledad moved to the United States in 2019 so she’d have access to better care, support, and a possible living donor transplant. A year later, she and her family met with the UPMC Harrisburg Transplant Services team to begin the process. “My sister, Natalie, wanted to be a donor. But during testing, they discovered she was born with only one kidney,” says Soledad.

Soledad was put on the transplant list as her condition slowly deteriorated. In March 2021, she began in-home dialysis. Since she worked an early shift at a local distribution center, she started dialysis by 7 p.m. so she’d have time to complete the eight-hour cycle. “I felt exhausted all the time. I had no swelling, but I did have pain in my legs,” she says.

Soledad’s father, Manuel, asked to be evaluated as a potential donor. “She was getting worse and worse,” says Manuel. “I love my daughter, and I wanted to see her healthy. I knew the sooner she got a kidney, the better the outcome would be.”

Because of their 20-year age difference, Manuel was approved as part of a paired exchange. On May 24, 2022, father and daughter under-went surgery at UPMC Harrisburg. Manuel’s kidney went to a stranger around his age while Soledad received a kidney from someone closer to her age. “You saved two lives,” a thankful Soledad later told him.

“I’m her father. I felt it was something I had to do,” says Manuel, who says he’ll always be thankful for the care and support of his family and the doctors and nurses at UPMC Harrisburg. “My reward is seeing my daughter healthy again.”

“When he donated his kidney, he gave me a second chance at life,” says Soledad. Since her transplant, her life has “done a complete 180,” she says. “I’m no longer tired. I can go to sleep when I want, and I’m able to enjoy going out and traveling.”

Soledad says she’s also grateful to the transplant team, especially the nurse who served as translator throughout the process. “She was able to explain things to me and communicate for me. That made everything so much easier,” she says.


Soledad and Manuel’s treatment and results may not be representative of other cases.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login