Local mom and ski instructor seeks living kidney donor

Amy Manelli with her husband Mike and daughters Quinn and Nicole. The Park City family hopes to find a living kidney donor for Amy, who has polycystic kidney disease. Photo: Amy Manelli

Park City resident Amy Manelli hopes to find a match through community support

PARK CITY, UT — Amy Manelli has spent the last four winters doing what she loves—teaching skiing at Deer Valley, volunteering with Fetch Care, and watching her daughters, Quinn, 14, and Nicole, 12, grow up in the mountains where she and her husband, Mike, first fell in love years ago.

But behind the active lifestyle is a health challenge that’s been part of Manelli’s life since she was a teenager: polycystic kidney disease, a genetic condition she discovered when she tried to donate a kidney to her father during her senior year of high school.

Now 46, Manelli is in need of a living kidney donor herself.

“My quality of life is not great, and I just feel like I have so many more things I want to do with my family,” Manelli said. “I just want to be there and be present.”

Polycystic kidney disease causes cysts to form on the kidneys over time, eventually impacting their ability to filter blood and remove toxins. Though Manelli has worked closely with doctors to manage the progressive disease through diet and medication, her kidney function has declined to about 14%. Patients typically become eligible for transplant when kidney function drops to 20%.

Despite her declining kidney function, Manelli remains active and isn’t on dialysis—a testament to her otherwise excellent health. That health makes her an ideal candidate for a living donor transplant, which her doctors strongly recommend.

“Because I’m younger and really healthy otherwise, they feel that I’m a good candidate for a live donor,” Manelli explained. “The benefit is that the donated organ tends to last much longer—a live donor kidney can last 20-plus years compared to about 10 years from a deceased donor.”

The Manelli family moved to Park City full-time in August 2021 after years of visiting from Chicago. Mike and Amy were married at Deer Valley 16 years ago, and Amy had been skiing in Utah for 25 years before making the move permanent.

“We’re big skiers. We mountain bike and hike and just love having all of these things in our backyard,” she said.

In Park City, Manelli has become involved in school PTOs and PTAs at Parleys Park and Ecker Hill Middle School, where her daughters attended. She now volunteers at both Ecker and Park City High School while working part-time as a ski instructor.

The disease has touched multiple members of Manelli’s family. Her father, who received a kidney from a deceased donor, has since passed away from complications related to kidney disease. Her younger sister also has the condition. The good news: both of Manelli’s daughters have been tested for the gene, and neither carries it.

Finding a living donor involves several steps, all covered by Manelli’s insurance. Potential donors first complete a health survey to rule out conditions that might disqualify them, such as diabetes, certain cancers, or a family history of kidney disease. If eligible, they undergo initial blood testing to determine compatibility.

Transplant centers look for the best possible match based on blood type and other factors, which can reduce the need for immunosuppressant drugs and improve long-term outcomes. If blood work looks promising, donors undergo more comprehensive testing, including a thorough physical exam, chest X-ray, and possibly an EKG.

“They only want to take a kidney from someone who’s super healthy, has really good kidney function, and they don’t have to worry long term about them having any health impacts,” Manelli said.

The entire donor screening process is handled by teams separate from the patient’s medical team and remains confidential unless the donor chooses to share information.

For Manelli, asking for help doesn’t come naturally.

“I don’t really like to ask for help. I like to do things on my own,” she said. “But everyone who’s gone through this process has told me you just never know where this match is going to come from. It could come from a friend of a friend, a random person. I’m just trying to get the word out.”

If someone in the community proves to be a match, it would mean everything.

“It’s such a gift,” Manelli said. “I would just be eternally grateful for that.”

Anyone interested in learning more about living kidney donation can visit unos.org/transplant/living-donation. Those who want to explore donating to Manelli can contact her directly at agmanelli@gmail.com.