Family Works Out Organ Trade With President Emeritus Of Notre Dame

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 Aurora Boy Gets Christmas Wish, New Kidney For Grandma
Family Works Out Organ Trade With President Emeritus Of Notre Dame
By Lance Hernandez, 7NEWS Reporter

POSTED: 8:58 am MST November 29, 2008
UPDATED: 12:40 pm MST November 29, 2008
AURORA, Colo. -- When Nick Bellopatrick filled out his Christmas wish last year, a new kidney for his grandmother topped the list.

That wish has come true.

Bev Bellopatrick, who has suffered from diabetes for more than 40 years, received a new kidney from the President Emeritus of Notre Dame.

The priest's nephew, in turn, received a kidney form Bev's son, George Bellopatrick.

"It's like the good Lord just heard our prayers," said Bellopatrick's husband, George Sr.

"It feels great," Bev told 7NEWS. "It's been three months and so far, there's been no problem."

Bev had been on dialysis for four years, and on a waiting list for a new kidney.

Her son, George, was going to donate one of his, but Bev has specific antigens in her blood that made that proposition iffy.

“Doctors here said that his kidney would have been rejected,” Bev said.

A viewer saw Nick's story on 7NEWS last year, called Bev, and told her about a transplant program at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

The hospital has expertise in dealing with those antigens.

After running a few tests, hospital officials asked Bev if she and her son were interested in a swap.

"The only thing they told me about him, and I don't know why, is that he was a Catholic priest."

That priest happened to be the President Emeritus of Notre Dame, whose nephew also needed a kidney.

"So my son gave the nephew a kidney, and the Rev. (Edward) Malloy gave me a kidney," Bev said.

"It just floored me," George Sr. added. "Cause I never thought of a priest donating a kidney. It just didn't enter my mind."

Nick Bellopatrick said, "It makes grandma a little holier."

Bev's son told 7NEWS that he's grateful everything worked out.

"I guess I'm a Notre Dame fan," George said, while wearing an Ohio State sweatshirt.

"You are now," added his father.

"Never thought I would be," George replied.

Bev said she feels much better now, and can even eat food she hadn't been able to touch for several years.

"Nick couldn't believe I hadn't had a French fry in 4 1/2 years," Bev said.

"Then once, when we went to a restaurant," Nick added, "when I wasn't looking, she took some of my French fries."

The Aurora boy is happy to share with his now healthy grandmother.

"Here we are less than a year later, and she has a new lease on life," said neighbor Cathy Sanderson.

Sanderson is the one who put out the word about Bev's predicament.

"Everything worked out just so perfectly."

This year, Bev didn't spend Thanksgiving hooked up to a dialysis machine. She is on a trip with her husband.

"I'm not taking her to Disney World, or Disneyland," George Sr. told 7NEWS before the holiday. “I’m taking her to Hawaii.”

"Thanksgiving is all about being thankful," Sanderson said. "And I think this year we have a lot to be thankful for."

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