The perfect gift

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The perfect gift

Published: February 21, 2008
By JASON COX
Of the Keizertimes

Ron Johnson woke up late in the evening on January 29, feeling better than he had in ages.

After about 18 months of consistently failing health, he was feeling great thanks to a gift from his son, Lance.

Prior to entering surgery earlier that day at Oregon Health and Science University, Ron Johnson, 60, saw Lance being wheeled back into the hospital room they shared.

Lance said to his dad, "You'll feel like a new person."

And as it turns out, he did – thanks to a new kidney from his only son.

Ron Johnson, a U.S. Navy veteran, retired in 2003 from the state of Oregon after 37 years. He had been dealing with high blood pressure and diabetes for years prior, but weren't yet causing the major health issues he would soon be facing.

His doctor told him about a year later that his kidneys "weren't functioning as they should. About a year and a half later, things started going downhill really fast."

Ron underwent triple-bypass heart surgery not too long after his doctor broke the news to him about his kidneys. In January 2007 he began dialysis treatments – reporting to a Salem clinic three days a week before eventually transitioning to a home dialysis system.

Ron said he consistently felt tired, and had a hard time focusing.

Meanwhile, son Lance, who was recently married, was spending time on the Internet, looking for ways to help his dad feel better. He began researching kidney transplants and the after-effects for both the recipient and the donor.

Several of Ron's relatives had already been tested for compatibility, but Ron's body likely would have rejected the organs. That's when Lance, 25, volunteered.

"Dad didn't even ask me," Lance said.

They went to Portland for the tests, and it turns out …

"We were a perfect match," Lance said.

Lance's new wife Candace said she was "supportive."

"He pretty much explained everything to me before I could say anything," she said.

Ever the proud father, Ron couldn't help but feel emotional when he talks about his son's generosity.

"I was proud of the fact that he did that for me," Ron said, his voice quaking a bit.

The surgery was due to take place in October 2007, but he came down with an unrelated medical condition that took two months to recover from.

And on January 29 they both were in the pre-operating room waiting for a surgeon to come take Lance back. The younger Johnson said he tried to keep the mood light.

"I kept asking him if he felt cold in his little gown – I was cold!" Lance said.

First went Lance. Then went Ron. He was wheeled into surgery at about half past noon, emerging late that evening.

"I remember waking up out of there, thinking I could feel that I was different," Ron said.

"You just feel a lot better.

"It's hard to explain – a pronounced feeling that things were, somehow, working better."

The lab tests came back – thanks to his son, "My kidneys were working fine.

"Kidney dialysis just tries to maintain your health, but it can't get everything," Ron said. "I felt like I had a lot more energy. … Your brain is more alert – all of a sudden things are in focus."

As for Lance, he was told he would feel "uncomfortable."

But it was Dad who felt that discomfort, too.

"I was just hoping that everything would be OK with Lance, and that I would be feeling better, too," Ron said about his nearly sleepless night before going into surgery. "I was probably more concerned about Lance."

But Lance's discomfort was short-lived. He was out of the hospital in three days and back at work part-time in two weeks.

But even if things hadn't gone as smoothly for Lance as they did, one gets the feeling Lance would never look back.

"I've got the best dad in the world right here," Lance said as he patted his father's hand. "I've got the greatest parents. I didn't think twice about what I was going to do."

Perhaps Debbie Johnson, Ron's wife and Lance's mother, had the best perspective.

It was "great love for Lance, and a new life for my husband. It shows great love for each other."

Of course, the story doesn't end so simply. He's still at the doctor three days a week and will be taking anti-rejection medications for the remainder of his days. But despite the daily reminder of once-ill health, he's going to get to enjoy the things he hasn't been able to do for some time. He's planning a family trip to Nebraska to see his family, and will soon be able to get out, walk the dog "and so what I've always done."

The Johnsons hope that other families facing similar issues will consider donating an organ to a family member.

"It's really not hard at all," Lance said.

http://www.keizertimes.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=9098