My Kidney Transplant Story: Beth Malsbury

When we were living in Texas, I had a bout of gout. I’d never had it before in my life, and I didn’t think anything of it.  

After we moved back to New York, where we have lived most of our lives and raised our kids, I developed this horrible winter itch, which I thought was because of the change in climate.  

I went for a routine annual physical and got blood work done, which showed that my uric acid level was off the charts. My doctor recommended that I see a nephrologist, and I was diagnosed with Stage 4 chronic kidney disease. Our world was turned upside down. It was so overwhelming. 

I reached out to a friend of ours who is a general practitioner and asked for a reference for a nephrologist. The person she referred me to was wonderful. She explained everything and said the most important thing was for me to go live my life. She said that they would take care of everything and that I should not stop living or isolate myself out of fear. We took her advice, and ended up going on a 14-day cruise just after being diagnosed.  

I changed my diet, going with more natural foods, eliminating dairy, and keeping my salt intake low. We made a point of being healthier, but it was not moving the needle whatsoever. My creatinine was about 1.9 and my GFR (glomerular filtration rate) was between 14 and 19.  

It stayed that way for about two years. Then my nephrologist said I needed to get on the transplant list. I said, “What? I feel fine!” But within six months, I noticed that I was starting to get very tired. My numbers were the same, but I was not feeling like myself. My goal was to avoid dialysis, so I decided to start the transplant process. 

I went through all the testing, which probably took about four months. Finally, I was put on the transplant list in February 2025. I built my microsite and handed out the business cards. We are in advertising, and we have a million wonderful connections. We had so many people who said they were going to reach out and get tested.  

My husband finally said that he couldn’t ask anybody to do this unless he got tested to see if he was a match for me. He got tested and we got his results in June. I am B positive with very low antibodies, and he was A positive. They said he was not a perfect match. He could donate directly to me, but it was not ideal. They didn’t like the chances for long-term success, and I might have to be on more anti-rejection medications. 

One day, my transplant team called to tell us they had a match for me and a match for my husband. I called my nephrologist and said, “They have a kidney for me—do I really need to do this? I still feel fine and there are probably so many people worse off than me.” She told me that I was one infection away from not feeling good or being on dialysis, and that if I had the opportunity to get in front of this, that was the best choice.  

We talked about it, and I decided I had to listen to my nephrologist, who had guided me through the process from the very beginning. 

Our surgeries were on August 20, 2025, at Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx. My husband went in at 6 a.m. and his kidney went to a woman in Boston. I went into surgery at 4 p.m. and received a kidney that came from Rochester, New York. 

It has been nothing but an incredibly positive experience. We are both healing beautifully. My husband bounced right back. My incision site looks like it was done 10 years ago. I am still isolating a bit and taking every precaution. The follow-up has been magnificent. We are looking for any opportunity to sing the praises of this process and of everyone involved.  

I know there are other people out there who are wondering, “Why would I get a kidney transplant when I feel OK?” My answer is, if you want to keep feeling good, and you have the opportunity to get a preemptive transplant, do it. I have zero regrets. 

We are so, so thankful to every person involved. I do want to have contact with my donor, but they told me I have to wait a little while, maybe six months. It’s going to take me that long to formulate a thank-you letter, because how do you thank someone for something like this?

About the Author

Beth and her husband, Timothy, reside in Westchester County, New York. They have two children, Ryann and Ashton, who are now grown and flown, although they live relatively close. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and entertaining friends and family. Together, Beth and Tim have owned and operated a full-service advertising agency for over 30 years, and are enjoying semi-retirement as they wind down their careers. When she started this journey, she knew nothing about CKD and was frozen in fear. Education and finding exceptional doctors she trusted—and who truly listened—made all the difference in her journey. Having recently received a preemptive kidney transplant, Beth is passionate about preemptive transplants. She welcomes the opportunity to share and help others facing similar situations.