PEORIA: Friend to donate kidney - She needs one, he's got two!

PEORIA: Friend to donate kidney - She needs one, he's got two!

Posted on 03/31 at 06:30 PM

Friends of Rob Rushman and Linda Staker are hosting a party this weekend to benefit a kidney transplant. Here are the details:

When: From 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday

Where: The Brass Rail, 3904 W. Farmington Road, Peoria

What: Live music. Food and items will be for sale.

Donations: They can be made to the Rob Rushman and Linda Staker Kidney Transplant account at CEFCU. For more information, call 633-7000.

By TERRY BIBO of the Journal Star

PEORIA - Linda Staker needs a kidney; Rob Rushman has two.

The way he tells it, the 36-year-old Pekin man watched Ellen Degeneres give some lucky viewer a whole 12 days worth of Christmas gifts a few months ago, and did his own math.

"You could see her eyes light up. You could see how happy that made Ellen, too," Rushman said Monday. "I thought, I can’t do the money thing. But I can do the kidney thing."

Rob and his wife, Denna, had watched Staker suffer for months. Chronic hypertension destroyed Staker’s kidneys last summer. The 52-year-old Chillicothe woman had been friends with Denna Rushman for 20 years, and Rob’s friend for the past 11. And now Staker’s entire life centered around dialysis treatments.

After he decided to help, Rob went through all kinds of tests and blood work to see if it was possible. On March 4, they found out he was a match. On April 7, they’re scheduled to have the transplant.

Some of their other friends decided to throw a party, in part to celebrate the gift of friendship. Also in part, they want to let other people know they can make a gift of life. Both say they hope more people will consider organ donations.

Terry Bibo can be reached at 686-3189 or tbibo@pjstar.com.

http://www.pjstar.com/php/index.php?/news/peoria_friend_to_donate_kidney/