Posted on 05/05/2006 7:27:10 PM PDT by Born Conservative
Ten years ago, Heather Randall wagered her kidney in a friendly game of pinochle with best friend Kim Huegel, who suffers from a rare kidney disease.
It was a joke and Ms. Randall didn’t think too much about it. Ms. Huegel’s health improved and she went on to have a daughter.
Last year, Ms. Huegel took a turn for the worse and began dialysis in December. Two weeks ago, Ms. Randall made good on her bet when the two women underwent transplant surgery at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.
“I always said, ‘I’m not sharing my parts with anyone,’” said Ms. Randall. She is not an organ donor on her license and is squeamish at the sight of blood.
But her eyes shone with tears as she explained that, when it came to her friend, she “never even second-guessed it.”
The women smiled with shy pride as they lifted their sweaters, showing their scars.
The two became friends a few months before the portentous card game, while they were neighbors living in Jessup. Ms. Randall, 26, and Ms. Huegel, 36, are inseparable.
Not everyone has a friend like Ms. Randall — nearly 92,000 people in the United States await an organ. Ms. Huegel said she didn’t know how long she would have waited on the transplant list. She got a call in February but had the flu, couldn’t do it, and never heard back.
Her brother was tested but their blood types didn’t match. The best friends, though, are both A positive.
Ms. Randall went through initial tests in secret.
“I didn’t want her to know I wanted to do it, and get her hopes up,” she said.
Once the tests came back OK, things moved quickly. There was more lab work, a CT scan, an MRI and a physical the likes of which Ms. Randall said she had never seen.
“They would keep asking me if I was sure I wanted to do this,” she said. “They told me that if I didn’t want to do it, they would tell her that it wasn’t a match, that something went wrong. They wouldn’t have told her why.”
Ms. Huegel laughed and rolled her eyes.
“I wouldn’t be mad,” she said. “I asked her the night before, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ It would have been fine.”
Ms. Randall’s surgery lasted three-and-a-half hours; Ms. Huegel’s one and a half. Each came home within a week.
“I’m sore, but I feel good,” Ms. Huegel said as Ms. Randall laughed and called her friend a “bellyacher.”
“Even before this we were inseparable, but now ...” Ms. Randall said. “What I figure is, I’ve got two kidneys. She can have one.”
My high school friend, Patricia, is giving one of her kidney's to her best friend May 15th. She was the best match.
My brother was born with one kidney, and it was badly formed. He had plastic surgery on it forty years ago. I would give him one of mine in a heart beat.
The donor in this story was very brave. I believe these women will be friends for life.
That's awesome! It's surprising how many people donate one of their kidney's to a friend; just go on one of the transplant newsgroups on the internet, and you'll see that it's more common than you think.
Is your brother still doing ok with his remaining kidney?
There are a lot of misconceptions on donating. The donation process is much improved over the years, and is now done endoscopically. Much smaller incision, less pain and recovery time, and you can function well for the rest of your life with only 1 kidney.
He's done very well. The only concern has been if he was ever injured in the abdomen... like if someone tried to punch him. I DO believe his life will be somewhat shortened because of it. But, at the time of his surgery, forty years ago, the doctor would give NO prognosis for the length of his life. They didn't expect him to live long at all. And yet, he has. A miracle.
My call to donate goes without explanation. He is my BROTHER. I wouldn't expect it to be a picnic. But if it is found that I would be a good candidate, how could I say "No"? Hopefully I would be a match, if necessary.
So far, so good. :)
I hope everything works out ok for him.
I've been chugging along at 11% kidney function now for the past several months, and fortunately, am not yet on dialysis. Due to a genetic kidney disease, my only sibling is unable to donate (she has the same as me, and is already on dialysis), and my mother died of complications related to the disease. I've been on the transplant list since last August, so I will hopefully be getting the call soon that a kidney is available (the same hospital mentioned in this article). A "pre-emptive" transplant would be nice...(transplant before needing dialysis).
Prayers for you and your sister. I hope you are not finding the situation too stressful. It's easy for me to say keep your chin up, but really... I hope you can remain hopeful and strong. Blessings to you.
I've been on dialysis for over two years now and I don't mind it so much. I figure it's stealing my time but saving my life. I just had a second heart attack and am on Plavix so I can't have any kind of surgery for six months to a year. The woman who has offered me her kidney have moved out of the area so I don't know what's going to happen. The steroids scare me too. Not much choice, huh?
Arrgghhh. Have=has!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.