Mother donates kidney to child with Alport syndrome — first such transplant in North Macedonia

A mother in North Macedonia became the living donor in the country’s first kidney transplant for a child diagnosed with Alport syndrome, the Ministry of Health announced. Medical tests established compatibility between donor and recipient and the mother was deemed an appropriate live donor.

Why the operation mattered

Health officials said the mother’s decision gives the child a new chance at life and marks a significant clinical milestone for treatment of rare inherited diseases in the country. Two other recent transplants at the same clinic used kidneys from deceased donors, while a third was a living-donor transplant.

“This is an example of the best in our health care — expertise, teamwork and humanity. Every transplanted kidney means a new chance at life,” said Minister of Health Sasho Klekovski.

The procedures were performed at the University Clinic for Urology. With these three operations, the clinic’s total number of kidney transplants this year has reached 15, compared with 11 transplants performed during the whole of 2025.

Alport syndrome is a rare inherited condition that affects kidney tissue and, in severe cases, can lead to renal failure and the need for dialysis. The Ministry emphasized that with correct diagnosis, thorough medical assessment and careful preparation, transplantation can be an option even for patients with rare genetic disorders.

“We express our gratitude to the family for their trust and for consenting to share the case publicly, and to the entire medical team that works around the clock on this complex medical procedure,” said Prof. Dr. Biljana Kuzmanovska, national transplant coordinator.

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