As a lifelong Catholic, Christina (Christie) Domingo Behan understands the power of prayer.
A teacher at Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School in Willow Grove, Behan is facing a serious health challenge – one that requires not only prayer but also finding a compatible donor so she can receive a new kidney.
Last June, she started feeling sick and went to her doctor to have blood work completed.
“I got a call from the doctor’s office, and they said my results showed I had kidney and heart failure, and I needed to go to the ER,” Behan said.
She spent almost a month in Jefferson Abington Hospital where she underwent numerous tests and procedures.
“It was probably the worst experience of my life,” said Behan, who grew up in Midland, Texas. “I was so afraid and didn’t know exactly what was happening.”
What sustained Behan throughout her hospitalization was the love and support of her husband John and her family who traveled to be with her.
“I just kept thinking that I needed to be back with my students,” she said. “They’re so important to me.”
Following her discharge, Behan began dialysis and physical therapy before going through a cardiac rehabilitation program.
After six weeks of cardiac rehab, her heart function returned to normal. Behan explained that she would not be eligible for a transplant if her heart function wasn’t normal.
She was able to return to Queen of Angels and is currently teaching sixth, seventh and eighth graders at the school.
Only after learning that she needed a kidney transplant did Behan share the news with the school community and the parish.
Christie and John Behan
In response, Father Matthew Windle, pastor of St. David Parish, put a letter in the church bulletin, and he gave her husband John the opportunity to speak at Masses recently.
The Behans have been members of the parish for eight years.
In his remarks at the Masses, John Behan requested prayers for his wife and shared how teaching the students at Queen of Angels has been “a source of great joy and strength” for her.
He explained that the average wait time for a kidney transplant is about eight years, and it is better to receive a donation from a living donor because it leads to a longer life expectancy.
“Asking for something as profound as a part of someone’s body is the hardest thing I have ever had to do,” said Behan, who teaches middle school students at Joseph Greenberg Elementary School in Philadelphia. “But I am doing it because I see her courage every day, and I know that miracles often happen through the hands of neighbors and friends.”
John Behan asked parishioners to consider being a living donor.
“I’m not asking for an immediate yes,” he said. “Pray on it or share our story with someone outside this church.”
He shared with the parishioners that he is currently being tested as a potential donor for his wife.
In addition, several of Christie Behan’s family members are going through the screening process.
In the United States, nearly 90,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. According to the Jefferson Health website, a kidney from a living donor usually responds better following the transplant surgery, which is typically done laparoscopically, and one donated kidney is sufficient to replace a person’s two failed kidneys.
The website also explains that potential donors go through a series of tests for blood and tissue types, plus cross-matching and antibody screening. These tests help determine how well the donor’s organ will be accepted by the transplant recipient.
The response from the parish community has been a humbling experience for Behan.
“So many people have responded with care and kindness,” she said. “There have been some people who reached out and offered me their kidney, and some of them have even been strangers.”
Ever mindful of her students, Behan spoke with them about what was happening with her health.
“I was hoping to relieve them of any fears they had and answer any questions they had,” she said. “I asked them during the season of Lent if they could add a special prayer for my family, for any potential donor, and also for myself.”
Some of Behan’s students even offered to give her their own kidney.
“They’re so young and full of faith, and they’re willing to help in any way,” she said. “It was very kind of them.”
Behan expressed her appreciation for all the support she has received from Father Windle and school president Kim O’Doherty and principal Beatrice Allen.
“They’ve all been very supportive throughout all of this,” Behan said. “I know it’s through the grace of God that I have such a wonderful community.”
Now in her sixth year at Queen of Angels, she hopes to have the transplant surgery during the summer to give her enough time to recuperate before the new school year begins.
“I don’t know if that will actually happen, but that’s what I’m hoping for,” said Behan, who receives dialysis treatments twice a week at the DaVita Dialysis Center in Willow Grove.
“I’ve had wonderful caregivers and a wonderful support team at DaVita, and I owe so much to them,” she added. “They’ve been amazing.”
While Behan waits for a suitable donor, she continues to lean on her faith.
“My faith has really been strengthened through this process, and it’s helped me realize how important it is to trust in God, especially through others,” she said. “Each day is a constant struggle in laying down one’s defenses and laying down one’s body and trusting in the care of others.”
Teaching the Catholic faith to her students also has taken on greater significance.
“Teaching the faith has more meaning for me now because I feel like I’m taking my faith to heart in a very real way,” Behan said. “I wouldn’t have chosen this path necessarily, but my faith is changing me every day and just growing and feeling more tangible.”
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For more information about becoming a living donor, visit www.jeffersonhealth.org/services/living-donor or call the transplant center at Jefferson Hospital at 215-660-3604.
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