Kidney Mama

Our one-kidney friend Lea Hanan and her dad, Albert Behar, were profiled post-kidney transplant, in the Jewish news site JT News.

I like that the article addresses that one can be an observant member of a religion and donate a kidney.

“It’s pretty empowering and humbling to know that each of us has the capability of taking one kidney and giving someone a second chance on life,” Hanan said. “It’s amazing that I’ve been given an opportunity to save my father and give him life, like he gave to me … and I’ve also learned of so many people who give their organs to strangers. To me, that makes them something that is beyond angels.”

Recognizing that living kidney, lung and liver donors should not have to consider whether they can afford to donate, Alberta has decided to set up a compensation fund for living organ donors. The article notes that donors do miss time from work for all the pre-testing, as well as time after surgery for recovery. The article mentions 6 to 8 weeks off after surgery … living kidney donation is a laparoscopic procedure, and you’ll be back to work in two.

There are also grants like this in the United States for out of pocket expenses such as travel and meals. Time off work can be paid through short-term disability at your job. (Check with your insurer first, since kidney donation is technically elective surgery.)

Anyway, hurray for Alberta for taking this step. If you’re thinking of donating a kidney, don’t let money stand in the way. There are ways to pay for everything. Ask your transplant coordinator.

Tricia Wadell knew what to do when she heard that her former teacher Greg Dagnan needed a kidney transplant because of polycystic kidney disease. She signed up to be a living kidney donor.

“I don’t know why everybody thinks this is such a big deal because it is saving a life,” Wadell says. “It is also someone who I respect, too.”

Dagnan says her generosity is about more than his health.

“For me she is saving my life, but the biggest gift she is giving to my family because I will be able to be around for them,” Dagnan says.

Their kidney transplant is scheduled for the end of July. Good luck, and hats off to you.

Loyola’s hospital has a kidney transplant program it calls “Pay-It-Forward.” You get a kidney transplant, then someone you know donates a kidney to the next person in line and so on.

Lillian Rosa received a kidney transplant at the end of June through the program, and in return, her husband, Jose, donated a kidney to Ben Carnivele.

Jose, a police officer, looked at the Pay-It-Forward kidney transplant program like this:

“This is going to open a lot of doors for a lot of people out there. You don’t have to wait until there’s an accident and somebody dies. If a lot of people came forward and did what I’m doing, it would save a lot of lives.”

The transplants are the 14th and 15th in the program, which began in April. This is big.

At the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, eight people are recovering from a four-way kidney transplant swap. It went a little something like this:

Daniel Fabisiak, 43, of DeForest received a kidney from Lois Chupp, 52, of Richland Center.

In turn, Fabisiak’s wife, Kelly, 42, donated a kidney to Carl Vitale, 48, of New York.

Vitale’s brother, Marc, 43, who lives in Madison, donated a kidney to Susan Rader, 57, who lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Rader’s son, John Rader, 32, who also lives in the U.P., donated his kidney to Michael Olson, 32, of McFarland. Chupp is a friend and co-worker of Olson’s mother-in-law.

And from another article about the transplants:

“I have a peace about it,” said Chupp, who is married with two grown sons. “When we matched I just knew that this was what I needed to do.” …

“I saw my life come back, a renewed life,” Fabisiak said about Chupp’s donation, while choking back tears. “Our family views her as an angel and savior because they’re getting their dad back and husband back.”

Congrats to all!