Brother Helped Care for Sister After Dad’s Death. When He Became a Father, She Paid Him Back by Saving His Life (Exclusive)

“He helped take such good care of us when we were little,” says Dr. Caroline Miranda of donating a kidney to her big brother, Mike

NEED TO KNOW

• A neurologist in New York City was quick to offer her kidney to her older brother after he learned he needed a transplant
• After their father’s death, he helped raise her and even took her to father-daughter dances
• Now fully healed after the rare robotic procedure in December, the siblings say their bond is tighter than ever

When Mike Miranda’s father died, he helped care for his younger sister Caroline, even taking her to a daddy-daughter dance. Three decades later, she didn’t hesitate to come to his aid when he experienced a medical crisis.

“In a way, it's paying it back because he helped take such good care of us when we were little,” says Dr. Caroline Miranda of donating a kidney to her brother in a rare robotic transplant procedure at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center last December. 

“Mike is a great person,” adds Caroline, a 39-year-old mom of two, who works as a neurologist at the center. “So to be able to be generous towards someone who dishes it out all the time, that meant a lot.” 

Growing up in New York City, the Miranda siblings — four boys and three girls — loved to play what they called “couch football” (envision a sock whizzing through the air) and exchange jokes. Thirty-five years ago, their foundation was rocked by the passing of their father, a violinist who went on to own his own water treatment company. While their mom continued to raise them, the four older boys also stepped in. 

“I think that our father dying was probably the worst thing that happened to us, but I think it was good for us as a group,” says Mike, a 48-year-old advertising specialist, of his family’s close bond. “I definitely felt responsibility.” 

Mike remembers taking his three sisters to school. The teen also babysat the girls until their mom, who worked at the United Nations for years, was able to return home. 

“We were very close,” says Mike of the connection with his siblings. “We're not that far in age, but I felt very much [like] taking care of them and looking after them as much as I could.”

When Mike was 27, he learned that he had two separate health issues: he was missing a kidney and he also had Berger’s disease. The condition results in a buildup of protein in the kidneys that can prevent the organs from filtering waste from the blood, according to the Mayo Clinic.

There is no cure, and some patients can experience kidney failure. Fortunately, Mike didn’t have any serious issues with his health for two decades.

That changed about two years ago. Mike, who at the time had recently welcomed his first child with his partner Guia, learned that he’d need a kidney transplant. Fortunately, his family was ready to help, and even fought over which person would become the donor. 

“It's almost like a competitive, silly thing, making humor out of something serious,” says Caroline, “which I think families who have been through tragedy do.”

Mike sent an email to the Miranda clan with the joking title, “Time to Pay the Fiddler.”

All of them, including his mom, hoped they’d be the donor, but in the end it was down to just two of them. Caroline and her twin sister learned that they were both perfect matches, but since her twin had just given birth, "they didn't want her to donate," Caroline says.

Adds Mike, “She had severe FOMO.”

As the process leading up to the surgery continued, Mike began to feel like he was on a “low battery,” with his kidney function sinking to 11%. While his health status had begun to feel “alarming,” he didn’t let that stop him from proposing to Guia the night before his surgery. She said yes.

“It let us not spend the night freaked out,” says Mike. “Instead, we were calling our families and good crying versus bad crying.”

The day of the procedure went smoothly, with both siblings undergoing minimally invasive surgery simultaneously. It’s rare to perform two robotic procedures at once, says Dr. Jason Hawksworth, Mike’s transplant surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. (Since Caroline works there, he jokes that it “raises the stakes” a bit.) 

“It's like a virtual reality video game, essentially, while we're operating,” Hawksworth says of the procedure.

With the state-of-the-art technology, he was able to operate with “three-dimensional vision.” The robot has a camera with ten times the magnifying capability, as compared to a standard magnifying loop that has three and a half times magnification. After five hours, the siblings were both out of surgery.

“For someone to give a lifesaving organ to someone else, it's the most extraordinary gift that I think there is,” says Hawksworth. “And so to be part of that is just amazing for me. It's a privilege to be able to do this job.”

Now fully healed, Mike is able to pick up his baby girl. He is beyond grateful that he doesn’t have to undergo routine dialysis.

Mike and his little sister both say they couldn’t have gotten through the ordeal without their partners and extended family, but of course, the new dad is especially thankful for Caroline’s generous gift. 

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“Caroline is officially my favorite sibling,” he says. “I've let them all know.”

Favorite sibling or not, Caroline says the transplant procedure brought their family even closer.

“Especially for Mike and me,” she says. “I think our hugs are a little extra long."

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