Gift of life: Kidney donors, recipients go to the same church

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009
Posted on Sun, Apr. 19, 2009
Gift of life: Kidney donors, recipients go to the same church

Sabrina Voss and Jim Shoffstall have each been featured in News-Democrat stories about getting donor kidneys from local people.

And it turns out that all four of the people involved attend Christ United Methodist Church in Fairview Heights.

"How cool is that?" asked Cheryl Shoffstall, Jim's wife. "Two donors, two recipients, one church. Now that is a story worth telling."

It is a story about two people -- Jim and Sabrina -- who both got healthy kidneys from surprise donors -- Mary Lirette and Mike Cole -- and how the people concerned are doing well and recovering from the various surgeries.

It's a story about faith and giving and a lot of prayer from the participants and the people supporting them.

Jim's kidney came from family friend, Mary. Sabrina's came from a neighbor, Mike.

Jim, a paramedic for Arch Helicopters in St. Louis, is raring to go back to work. Sabrina, a 10-year-old, fourth-grader at Wolf Branch Elementary School, got to go back to school last week.

Mike gave Sabrina a kidney on March 6 which was actually a week before Jim and Mary, whose operations were planned earlier but delayed due to a change in surgeons.

Mike, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, is slowly getting back to the good physical shape that he always had.

"I used to run a lot. I used to do 100 pushups a day. I started again the other day. I did 30," he said.

Formerly an avid runner, he said he was going to try running on Friday.

Sabrina's mother, Sharon Voss, said Sabrina never really slowed down since she was having dialysis before the replacement. She didn't appear ill but she was.

"She was always bouncing around, running and jumping," Sharon said. "Since the transplant she can't bounce as much. But she can eat whatever she wants. Rediscovering how good food tastes has been great for her."

Sabrina has to take medicine twice a day to help suppress her immune system so it won't reject the new kidney.

The whole experience has been so amazing that Sharon said it is hard to put into words.

"How hard is it to let someone you hardly know give up a kidney for your kid?" she said. "It touches my heart in the deepest place."

Mary also is bouncing back from her donor surgery, although she said it has been a gradual process. Jim is to the point where he can resume exercising. Jim had a scare a few weeks ago, but it turned out to be a problem with the medication he takes for his immune system, which was corrected.

He said he is to the point where he can do some light housework but he still has to avoid large crowds. On Easter Sunday, he was able to attend church but had to wear a mask.

"I'm looking forward to lifting weights again and playing softball," Jim said.

The Shoffstalls have a picture album of the entire procedure, complete with a close-up of the kidney coming out of Mary and going into Jim.

Mike said a neighbor, who is a cameraman for a St. Louis television station, taped the entire operation.

"I'm lying in bed in the hospital when a nurse says, 'You're on TV.' But I haven't seen it. I don't want to watch it," Mike said.

Cheryl said they counted more than 30 people who showed up during the operation to help her wait. They ate kidney shaped cookies a friend baked.

Jim and Mary brought home kidney shaped autograph pillows as mementos of the operations.

Cheryl said the operating room people said kidneys are their favorite surgery because you see immediate results.

"The kidney starts making urine almost right away," Jim said.

"I never thought I'd see a day when I was celebrating ...," Cheryl said, shaking her head.

Mary is planning to run a half-marathon during a transplant run honoring transplant survivors in Chicago in October.

"We're putting together a team from our church," Mary said.

The two donors are heroes to everyone who hears about their sacrifices.

"When Mary went back to church the first Sunday, she got mobbed," Cheryl said. "Everyone was asking, 'Can I see your scar? Would you do it again?'"

"I don't feel special," Mike said. "I was glad to do it. It's the best thing I ever did."

His reward is getting to watch his neighbor run around the neighborhood like a kid again. He said he hadn't met Mary before, but the two donors have become friends.

"When we hug each other, we know where to hug so it doesn't hurt," Mike said.

All involved have heard from people all over the country.

"This made ripples way beyond our families," Jim said.

Have a column idea? Call Wally at 239-2506 or (800) 642-3878; or e-mail wspiers@bnd.com

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