Couple is Mayo hospital's 100th living donor transplant

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Couple is Mayo hospital's 100th living donor transplant
   Reported by: Jodie Heisner
Email: jlheisner@abc15.com
Last Update: 7:42 am
   
PHOENIX -- The Mayo Clinic in Phoenix is celebrating its 100th living donor transplant and this patient and donor have quite a story.

It’s taken years for Dr. Cherie Hayostek and her husband Rory to get to the hospital beds they sit in side by side.

“We’re soul mates, its just very hard,” said Cherie.

Rory, too weak to talk now, has been suffering from a debilitating liver disease for more than 15 years.

“He has a disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis… just kind of progressively getting worse and worse,” said Cherie.

Rory needed a new liver.

Several family members were tested for living donation.

“I’ve always wanted to be the donor of course, but my husband was a little hesitant for me to be the donor,” said Cherie.

She was tested and initially turned down by one hospital.

They moved across the country to get Rory on a donation list, but ended up back in Phoenix.

The Mayo Clinic Hospital agreed to do the transplant. The same Mayo organization Cherie worked for years ago.

“That makes me happy to see somebody I love be able to be themselves again,” said Cherie.

When they married Cherie gave him a piece of her heart. “Now my liver, 68 percent of it,” said Cherie.

The couple is now recovering and while they have their ups and downs Cherie says they are both doing well.

http://www.abc15.com/content/living/yourhealth/story/Couple-is-Mayo-hospitals-100th-living-donor/U62zOeltD0CqOcQDGXkeEw.cspx