For years, Jackson’s care routine consisted of multiple hospital visits, checkups, lab tests, and progress reports with her endocrinologist, nephrologist and other clinicians.When kidney transplant patients at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Transplant Institute celebrate their first year after transplant, they ring a bell. The bright tone of the “Bell of New Beginnings” resonates throughout the clinic, marking the first anniversary of a journey toward a new chance at life.

UAB Medicine patient Ronita Jackson, whose transplant journey was long and complex, appreciates the significance of the phrase “new beginning.” Jackson, now 42, was diagnosed with both chronic kidney disease and diabetes by age 19. CKD is a medical condition that leads to a gradual loss of kidney function over time. As the disease gets worse, waste material can reach high levels in the blood and cause high blood pressure, a low red blood cell count (anemia), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. CKD also increases the risk of heart disease.

Jackson says she experienced almost every symptom and complication of diabetes and CKD, and she spent two decades of her life constantly managing her condition.

Nonstop doctor visits

For years, Jackson’s care routine consisted of multiple hospital visits, checkups, lab tests, and progress reports with her endocrinologist, nephrologist and other clinicians. This also required a busy network of communication among all of her providers.

“Every three months, we monitored my condition and my progress,” Jackson said. “Life for me was hospital visits, lab results and worrying about blood sugar levels. I didn’t let it stop me from working and serving in ministry, but I will say that it was a lot to deal with. In a way, we were also monitoring my decline. The function of my kidneys decreased over the years. In my late 30s, I reached stage 4 of CKD.”

Jackson learned she might qualify for placement on the United Network for Organ Sharing list, and she underwent testing to see if she was eligible for organ transplantation.

“It was like interviewing for a job interview, but with so much more on the line,” Jackson said. “In 2023, I was on the list at UAB.”

Once she became adjusted to the idea of organ transplantation, Jackson says, she sensed she was on the proper path toward resolving her serious health issues.

“I’m a big believer in miracles, signs and wonders, so I’ve always trusted God to lead me along in that way,” Jackson said. “So many things had fallen in place for me to begin seeking a new kidney and pancreas, I surrendered to the idea of just waiting at home for ‘that call’ to inform me there was a match. It gave me a sense of peace, calm and comfort.”

A complicated journey

Jackson recalls the first day of her transplant journey, which began with chaotic communication.

“The third week of March 2024, a transplant coordinator called me; but I missed the call,” Jackson said. “She called a second time, and I missed the call again. I will never figure out how that happened. I was afraid they would go to the next person in line. I called the transplant line within minutes to explain my mistake, and then the coordinator called back to say she would let me know within the hour if the available organ was a match for me. That may have been the longest wait of my life. But it was a match, so I needed to be at the hospital in a couple of hours. Suddenly I was doing the worst packing job ever, calling my parents, and we were trying so hard to calm down. That all-important call came within a year of beginning testing at UAB. I received both a kidney and a pancreas on March 22, 2024.”

Like many organ transplant recipients, Jackson knew that a successful transplant is only the beginning of what may become a long and demanding path. In her case, the journey continued to grow in length and difficulty. Jackson required three surgeries over the course of several days, due to various complications. After an extended hospital stay, she continued a long recovery that required complex wound care. She also underwent occupational therapy to regain coordination and strength after being immobile for weeks.

Help from family and friends

Her follow-up care at home called for family support, Jackson recalls.

“I had to continue extensive wound care at my parents’ house,” she said. “They would take me to follow-up appointments, sometimes three times per week. I have immediate and extended family who have been there for me, always; a church family who have looked after me; and of course, many nurses, doctors and other staff at UAB who have been so caring and compassionate.”

“This was a complicated journey, and I made it with God and so many supporters at my side,” Jackson said. “My celebration of the first year definitely involves celebrating it. I rang the Bell of New Beginnings on March 21, 2025, and it signaled a lot of emotions, but mainly gratitude. I am not diabetic. I have organs that work. I have a new chance.”

Joy and accomplishment

Shikha Mehta, M.D., medical director of the UAB Medicine Kidney Transplant Program, views the Bell of New Beginnings as a twofold gesture.

“Ringing the bell embraces the future at a time of hope, while recognizing the gift from donors and their families,” Mehta said. “It acknowledges the life-changing transformation that offers a new life. Sometimes when I hear that bell, I may be in another area or seeing another patient; but I pause a moment in my heart and have a smile on my face. Somewhere deep down, I also say a kind of ‘thank you’ to the donor and family who made that journey possible. The sound of that bell provides a shared sense of joy and accomplishment. It’s a patient journey, but it has a similar effect on the staff members who have been with this patient throughout.”