Twin donates kidney to save sister's lifePosted: Jul 09, 2010 7:41 PM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A mid-state woman didn't think twice about going under the knife to donate a kidney to save her twin sister's life.
Jenny Purky had kidney trouble for pretty much her entire life. When she was just 18 months old, doctors removed one failing kidney.
By the time she was 18, in 2001, she needed a transplant. Her mother Maggie donated one of her kidneys. It seemed to be working for a while.
Maggie said, "They started to see a decline in function, and we kind of had to prepare for dialysis this time."
For four years, Jenny did dialysis, recently, as much as ten hours a day.
She was on a waiting list for a new kidney, but needed one soon, so her twin sister, Christy, decided she would give Jenny one of her kidneys.
Christy said, "Very hard to see her sick, and to know that I could make that better. It was just a very simple decision."
The 28-year-old sisters had surgery last Monday at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville.
According to Jenny, "It's overwhelming. It's kind of hard to accept a gift like that. I don't know how I'll ever thank them."
As a twin, Christy's kidney is a perfect match. Jenny says she already feels healthier than ever before.
Jenny said, "I think I woke up the day after surgery, and I didn't even need pain medication because I was feeling so good. My body was used to feeling so bad."
"There aren't any words. I'm unbelievably blessed. I'm just so lucky to have such an amazing family," she added.
The three women, who now only have three kidneys between them, each wear silver kidney-shaped necklaces to show their bond.
http://www.wkrn.com/global/story.asp?s=12783897
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