Man To Get Kidney From Friend Of Just 6 Months

Jun 12, 2007 11:37 am US/Central

Man To Get Kidney From Friend Of Just 6 Months

(AP) Helena, Mont. Two men who became friends just six months ago were scheduled for surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on Tuesday so one could give the other a kidney.

Steve Longsworth, who moved to Helena from Tucson, Ariz., with his family in December, attends the same church as Fred Habel. Within weeks of getting acquainted, Longsworth offered to give a kidney to Habel, who was diagnosed with kidney disease eight years ago.

Habel already had one kidney removed and the other functioned minimally. Without a transplant, Habel faced extreme health measures, including dialysis.

Longsworth and Habel flew to Minnesota on Sunday.

"Six months ago, he was a stranger," Habel said. "To put his own health aside to better mine is pretty incredible."

Longsworth said everything that he heard about his new friend made the decision easy.

"It was primarily what I heard through the people at church, what kind of a guy he was and what he had gone through," Longsworth said. "He was just a tremendous guy as a friend to others, a husband, a father."

The search for a kidney donor to help Habel was hindered by his rare blood type -- B positive.

Only about eight or nine families worship at Elkhorn Presbyterian Church, but four members of the small group approached Habel about giving him a kidney. All were rejected for various reasons; the 86-year-old pastor offered a kidney and was told he was too old. Then Habel stepped forward, and was a match.

"I knew that even though other people had come forward, it wasn't working out and the blood work wasn't looking good," Longsworth said. "He's never complained when he's had every right to. It was just a risk I was willing to take."

Longsworth began talking to Habel in February about the possibility of giving him a kidney. After initial tests determined Longsworth was a match, he and Habel, both 47, went to the Mayo Clinic for more extensive testing.

Longsworth expects to return to Montana this Sunday and has been told the recovery time for a donor is two to four weeks. Habel's stay at the Mayo Clinic is likely to last 30 days.

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_163124109.html