Cason Received Kidney Roughly Six Weeks After Joining Waiting List
Former Coral Gables Mayor Jim Cason received a kidney transplant on Oct. 25, 2025, roughly six weeks after joining the waiting list, and has since become an advocate for organ donation.
Cason, 81, had been diagnosed with autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease-UMOD, or ADTKD-UMOD, a rare inherited condition. Miami Today reported in a Sept. 2 article that the former mayor is doing well and pushing for more registered donors.
Donor Kidney Came From 45-Year-Old With Brain Tumor
The kidney came from a 45-year-old deceased donor who had a brain tumor. A small cancerous area on the organ was removed before the transplant, Cason told Miami Today. He believes his age may have made the kidney more suitable for him than for a younger recipient.
His wait was unusually short. Cason said he got a call one morning telling him a kidney was available and that he had to decide immediately and reach the hospital within an hour. Most patients wait years, he said.
"I was very lucky … and I'm doing quite well," Cason said in the Sept. 2 Miami Today article.
Three Recent Coral Gables Mayors Have Needed Transplants
Cason is one of three recent Coral Gables mayors who have needed organ transplants. Former Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli and current Mayor Vince Lago are also organ recipients. Cason told Miami Today that the coincidence underscores how many people need kidneys and how few have signed up to donate their organs.
South Florida Donor Shortage Persists
Dr. Giselle Guerra, medical director of the living donor and robotic transplant program at the Miami Transplant Institute, told Miami Today that the region's donor supply has improved only slightly since the federal government replaced the area's organ procurement agency in March.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services decertified Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency, a division of the University of Miami Health System, after finding it did not meet federal requirements. The South Florida Donor Network, run by Nevada Donor Network, took over operations on March 27 across a six-county area and the Bahamas.
Dr. Guerra said donor numbers in South Florida have ticked up since the change but remain far short of what the region needs. Nationally, the shortage persists.
Nationwide Kidney Waiting List Tops 90,000
More than 90,000 Americans were waiting for a kidney transplant as of January, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. The country performed 27,573 kidney transplants in 2025. A federal survey found that 93% of U.S. adults support organ donation, but only 53% are registered as donors.
The Miami Transplant Institute, a collaboration between Jackson Health System and UHealth–University of Miami Health System, averages about 400 kidney transplants a year and ranks among the three largest kidney transplant programs in the country, according to Jackson.
Misconceptions and Cultural Gaps Limit Sign-Ups, Doctor Says
Dr. Guerra said misconceptions contribute to the gap, including fears that registered donors might receive different medical treatment in an emergency. Cultural differences and a lack of information also limit sign-ups locally.
Residents can register as organ donors at organdonor.gov.
