Duke Health

In 2024, Dustin Smith received a life-saving kidney from his sister, but more than one life was changed for the better. Before she donated, Melissa Leatherwood overhauled her lifestyle and lost 60 pounds. Almos... Show More t a year after his kidney transplant at Duke Health, Dustin is back to hiking and cycling, and Melissa is in the best health of her life. “It feels good knowing I helped her at the same time she helped me,” Dustin said. Show Less

Gail Gunter didn't hesitate to say yes when her surgical oncologist recommended she undergo genetic testing. Performed by Duke Cancer Institute’s Cancer Genetics Program, the testing would inform her and her su... Show More rgical oncologist, Randall Scheri, MD, about her risk for developing future cancers, and whether a gene mutation had caused her thyroid cancer.Since some mutations can run in families, the test results could benefit her five siblings as well. Cascade testing looks for the same mutation in close relatives. Finding the mutation helps detect cancer early and increases the chance of survival.  Show Less