“I'm ecstatic to tell you that I'm a six year veteran now. Of what you might ask? A successful kidney transplant. Believe me it wasn't something I thought I'd ever take part in, no less at the age of 21. A clean bill of health all years prior, just so happened a common virus turned bad, life threatening bad. Never admitted in the hospital before, never feeling so sick either. I found myself in the ER and diagnosed with severe renal failure. Immediate dialysis was needed in order to live. My life now in the hands of doctors, medications, machines and lets not forget about God. My kidneys never regained function. I was dependent on hemodialysis for the next 15 months to kept me alive.

I physically wasn't able to live the energetic life I had once been living before. When my nephrologist told me I would be a perfect candidate for a transplant, my life would change yet again. After many discussions with my family, research and referrals from doctors, and nurses we arranged the first meeting at the hospital. Multiple questions and information was exchanged by all, in a very personable and caring manner. It was clear after our meeting this was the team that wanted to make my second chance at life possible, and in return we wanted under our care. With three of my family members all tested, my dad was the best match. The details of our heath care, operation and recovery was covered. A transplant date was selected. On November 5, 1997 my life along with my dad's was in the hands of two teams of surgeons, machines, medications and that's right God too. On that day, I was given the ultimate gift, a new lease on life. My dad's kidney started working like a charm, in it's new home inside me. There isn't a day go by that I don't appreciate the life that I'm living now. Thanks to transplantation and the continuous care, love, and support from my family, friends and medical family. These last six years I've been able to accomplish more than I ever thought possible. My dreams have become a reality, with my future full of endless possibilities”. date: 11/5/97

Laurie Scheer
Living Donor Transplant from her dad
Transplant date 11/5/97
Laurie has participated in the Transplant Games every 2 years since transplant and has received multiple gold medals (and others) for her participation in the games.

IHello, my name is Fred. I had a kidney transplant in November of 1994. Eight years earlier, at the height of health in my life, I was diagnosed with a renal problem that was supposed to take 20 years or so to deteriorate to the point of transplant. In September of 1994 my renal function was around eight percent. At that point I was a deputy sheriff with a wife and two children. The staff at Clarkson Hospital did an excellent job laying out my options. My wife and I decided on transplant. We informed our families about our decision and left my medical records open to them. One of them stepped up immediately and researched the problem along with the possibility of being a donor. Less than two months went by. We were matched and decided on the first available date for surgery. It happened to be November 9th, the day between my mother and father's birthdays. Now they send me a card on that day, my re-birthday. Two lives were saved that day, mine and my father's. You see when he underwent pre-surgery testing they found an aneurysm on his renal artery. During the transplant, doctors were able to harvest
his kidney and take care of the aneurysm. Along with two lives being saved a third was created. My new kidney cleaned up my system so well that we were finally, after eight years of trying, able to conceive our third child.
I was back on the job sixty days after the transplant working road patrol division. I am still a deputy sheriff and can perform all of my duties. I have never been on any "light" or "special" duty as a result of our decision to have a transplant. I do have one problem. It's hard to shop for my father on father's day or his birthday or whatever....I mean, what am I supposed to get the man who gave me life TWICE?

Fred Bishop
Kidney transplant recipient
November 1994

I had a kidney transplant a year and a half ago. My loving wife was my donor. I remember during prescreening she said to the doctor, “If only I could give my husband one of my kidneys.” To our amazement, we were a match – true love.

I am still under the watchful eye of the physicians who have performed this miracle. I remember well the transition from kidney failure to dialysis to transplant and all of the help and support I received along the way. Simply put, it’s difficult to describe how wonderful it is to have my life back, freedom, so to speak.

To all concerned, my wife, doctors and nurses, thanks for your professionalism and support. God Bless!

Jim
Living donor transplant recipient
August 2002

When people learned that I was going to give my husband Jim one of my kidneys, they would comment on how noble and wonderful I was. The truth is, it was the best gift I could give myself. When someone you love is sick, we so often say, “If there was just something I could do . . .” Here was my opportunity. I think of it like Christmas morning. You have bought the absolute perfect gift for your loved one. You eagerly anticipate his delight as he opens it. Giving my husband a kidney was something like that feeling, only 100 times better.

Over a year later, I see how my husband’s health has improved and how he is no longer tied to a dialysis machine. It was truly the best gift I could ever give – the give of health. I am in awe and so grateful to The Nebraska Medical Center for our miracle.

Cindy
Living kidney donor

In Their Own Words: Stories of Transplant Recipients

The following interviews were conducted in June, 2004 at The Nebraska Medical Center. Some interviewees were at the hospital for their annual checkups, some were just out of surgery and others are employees of the Medical Center.

Angela and Melissa Thomas
Mother donated kidney to daughter, June 2004
Omaha, Nebraska residents

In mother Angela’s words:
We first knew Melissa was sick about five years ago. She kept putting on water weight—she would blow up like a balloon—and then lose the weight. Finally, we were on vacation in Dallas in 2000 when she went into kidney failure. That’s when we found out she had lupus. In fact, she has the worst kind of lupus, the kind that attacks your organs. They started chemotherapy right away. It went into remission almost immediately, but they continued an 18-month course of chemotherapy.

Then, Melissa got pregnant with my wonderful grandson. That was a high risk pregnancy, given her condition, and totally accelerated her losing her kidney function. In December 2003, Melissa’s doctors told us she had to go on the transplant list, and she would need to start dialysis soon. That’s when I decided to donate my kidney. It really was a no-brainer. Both of us have Type O blood, and I just couldn’t let her suffer. I do have two other children, Dylan and Jamie, and we talked about my decision to donate my kidney to Melissa. They felt that if there was anything I could do to help their “sissy”, they were OK with it.

Fortunately, I do have insurance and my insurer has a donor program that picks up all the expenses associated with organ donation. I think most insurers have donor programs. In Melissa’s case, she was already on Medicare and Medicaid, since she was both disabled and poor.

Being a donor takes some time—I will need to take at least four to six weeks off from work and I can’t drive for a month. There are really no follow-up medications that are out of the ordinary post-operative standard. I think there is no reason not to help family or a friend who needs an organ—I’m an organ donor on my license and I like to believe that I practice what I preach. My kidney started working for Melissa right away, and that was wonderful. And you know, you can actually live off just one quarter of your kidney. In fact, the rheumatologist said that sometimes when a person donates a kidney, the other kidney increases in size to compensate. Isn’t that amazing?

In daughter Melissa’s words:
My mom is a hero in my eyes. I know that mothers will do anything for their kids, but I did try to talk her out of donating, since if anything happened to me, I knew she was the person who would be taking care of my son.

Even though I just got my kidney yesterday, I can see a difference already. First of all, I’m flushed—a real switch, since I was very anemic. And my energy has picked up. And I’m going home! The first thing I’m going to do is hug my son.

I did find out something very interesting that I think people should know. If you donate a kidney, and for some reason, your other kidney fails, you go straight to the top of the transplant list because you’ve risked your life for someone else. I think people should be aware of that since it might influence their decision be an organ donor.

Cathy Westman
Currently foster parent to three transplant children
Omaha, Nebraska resident

My husband and I started fostering children who needed transplants about ten years ago. In that time, we’ve fostered a total of eight children in need of transplant.

Our first child was Shante, who we have now adopted. We got her straight out of the hospital when she was four and a half months old. She’s had two transplants since she’s been with us—a small intestine when she was two and a half, which her body rejected and another at age four, which her body rejected. She may need another. But she’s very healthy right now and her system is working really well, so we’re not worrying for the moment. You don’t think of little children needing transplants, but once they do their lives take off. These children are such survivors.

Take Victoria, for example. She’s 18 months old and in February had a liver/small bowel/pancreas transplant. That was a ten-hour surgery and she’s doing remarkably well. She’s learned to sit up. You can just tell she feels better. Our third current foster child is Natasha. She’s from Texas and is waiting for a liver/small bowel transplant. She’s a little jaundiced now, but overall, she’ll be ready when we hear that there is an organ for her.

I believe the Nebraska Medical Center is really committed to helping children. For my kids, going to the hospital is like coming home. The staff is remarkably caring—you get to know them and they get to know you. It’s wonderful that these children are given a second chance at life—and the Medical Center works to assure that it is a good quality of life they are getting. My husband and I thought long and hard about doing this, since we’ll be in our 70’s by the time this second round of children is grown—our own children are grown and live in the area. For us, it’s a lifelong thing. These children need a sense of permanency and normalcy. Our kids go to school, museums and the zoo. The equipment they need is small and portable, so we can go on vacations. The kids come with us everywhere.