Cranberry Township couple shares an organ
Even before they were married, Byron and Melissa Wade understood the meaning of standing by your spouse “in sickness and in health.”
The meaning of the vow hit home when Melissa Wade found out her kidney was a match for her husband, who needed a transplant after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder in 2020, shortly before the couple first met one another.
“That was a really big moment (when we found out),” she said. “Every time I talk about it, I’m standing right there again.”
Byron and Melissa Wade shared this story with the Cranberry Township supervisors at a meeting on Thursday, April 24, where they asked the supervisors to officially recognize May 14 as IgA Nephropathy Awareness Day in the township.
IgA Nephropathy, or Berger’s disease, is a rare condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack the kidneys, potentially leading to organ failure. With no known cure, patients often face years of uncertainty, regular monitoring and, in some cases, the need for a transplant.
According to the American Association of Kidney Patients, there are about 1.3 diagnosed cases per 100,000 individuals every year in the United States.
Byron was diagnosed with the disease by a biopsy in early 2020. Not long after, the pair met and began dating in November 2020.
After a few years of working with doctors to develop a proper treatment plan, Byron was added the transplant list in April 2022.
Several significant moments followed, beginning with the Cranberry Township couple’s engagement in July 2022.
While planning a trip to Ohio to visit family and celebrate the moment, they learned that Melissa was a match and that the transplant could proceed from there.
Less than a year later, on March 20, 2023, they underwent a successful transplant surgery that gave them plenty of peace of mind ahead of a new life together.
That new chapter began just seven weeks later when the couple exchanged vows on May 13, 2023.
“They (the doctors) promised me I’d be able to walk down the aisle and enjoy my wedding day,” Melissa said. “We got up at 8 a.m., and by 10 p.m. I was pretty much falling over I was so tired. We slept for two days after the wedding because it was the most activity we had in seven weeks.”
During the summer months that followed, they bought a home and became Cranberry Township residents. Melissa said everything has gone according to plan since then.
“There’s definitely been some bumps in the road that come with a transplant, like trying to find the right titration for medications and how your body adjusts,” she said. “But Byron’s doing great, and the kidney’s doing great. We’re really blessed.”
While they said the journey strengthened their bond, it also inspired them to advocate for greater awareness of the disease by partnering with national IgAN organizations.
At the April 24 township supervisors meeting, the couple requested the recognition — a gesture aimed at supporting other families facing similar battles and encouraging further research into the disease.
Cranberry supervisors unanimously approved that motion, while praising the couple’s story.
“I applaud your willingness to come out and speak,” Mike Manipole, vice chairman of the supervisors, told the couple during the meeting. “One of the greatest things you can do to help people is to speak up and spread that knowledge.
“Thank you. Your story is inspirational. That’s awesome.”
