Kidney donor shrugs off danger to save lifeTuesday, March 04, 2008
By Cindi Lash and Steve Levin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Before November, Daniel Hughes had never heard of Albert Sherman, much less the medical, research and religious initiatives for which Mr. Sherman is famed in Massachusetts.
But after watching a TV program about transplants and advances that have made organ removal less invasive and risky for donors, Mr. Hughes recalled a neighbor who died while waiting for a transplant.
Drawn to the idea of donating a kidney himself, Mr. Hughes, 47, of Chartiers City, turned to an Internet site that matches sick patients with potential donors, posted his blood type and announced his intention to give away a perfectly functioning organ to a stranger.
He didn't wait for long.
Tomorrow, Mr. Hughes, his wife, and their two sons will head back to Pittsburgh from Boston, where he has been recuperating since surgery a week ago today to donate his kidney to a desperately sick Mr. Sherman.
In saving Mr. Sherman's life, Mr. Hughes nearly lost his own during a first, unsuccessful attempt in January. Yet he insisted on trying again weeks later, honoring a commitment he made to a dying man and an astounded family that continues to marvel at his selflessness.
"I knew if the transplant was successful, it would make me very, very happy," said Mr. Hughes, a Web site designer who is the husband of Pittsburgh Police Detective Charlotte Hughes and father of sons Daniel, 5, and Christian, 3.
"I believed I could help someone in need and it would be a very uplifting experience," he said, adding that he'd first checked his family's medical history to be as sure as possible that his own children would not need a transplant.
At the time Mr. Hughes was posting his profile on the MatchingDonors.com Web site in November, Mr. Sherman, 69, of Chestnut Hill, Mass., was growing increasingly frail from the effects of hereditary polycystic kidney disease. His younger brother, Arthur, already had received a transplant for his advanced PKD, which is incurable and affects about 600,000 Americans.
A pharmacist, longtime-public health advocate, father and devoted "Poppa" to three grandchildren, Mr. Sherman had extensive knowledge and a widespread network to tap in his search for a donor kidney. He is the vice chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, the senior member of the Massachusetts Public Health Council and a longtime supporter of Jewish causes and organizations.
In recognition of his support and work to obtain government funding, a planned $180 million biomedical research complex at UMass in Worcester also is to be named after Mr. Sherman.
When it became clear that a transplant was critical to save his life, at least 20 relatives and friends volunteered, said his daughter, Risa Sherman, 41. But none were suitable donors.
The Shermans looked at the United Network for Organ Sharing, the national database of clinical transplant information that operates a computerized organ sharing system, matching donated organs and recipients. More than 98,000 people are on UNOS, and the wait can be several years long.
Then an acquaintance mentioned the MatchingDonor.com site to Mr. Sherman's wife, Linda.
The 3-year-old Web site based in Canton, Mass., is the only living donor registry in the world. Started by Paul Dooley after the death of his father, who died waiting for a new kidney, the site allows people to sign up as potential donors and recipients, and peruse each other's biographies.
"It has nothing to do with color, race, creed or religion," Mr. Dooley said. "People can't pay someone to donate. I think it's just heroic."
Mrs. Sherman checked the site day and night, as donors are allowed to contact potential recipients. She screened out some that didn't ring true.
Her husband had resisted going on dialysis, but when his condition worsened he began thrice-weekly sessions on Nov. 5. Each visit, including travel, was five hours. "Let's not fool ourselves," he told her. "It's a tough thing to pull off."
"Albert," she answered, "This is going to happen."
On Nov. 28, she found the e-mail that she can still recite from memory: "I am a 46-year-old while male living in Pittsburgh with Type A blood."
She and Mr. Hughes exchanged six e-mails that day. Although he wasn't allowed to meet Mr. Sherman or his wife, over the next three months, his mantra remained the same: "I will not disappoint you."
Both men are extremely religious, and Mr. Hughes, who is a Baptist, said he believes God brought them together.
"For us to come together in his time of need, I think it was a miracle."
After tests determined he was an excellent match for Mr. Sherman, the transplant surgery was scheduled for Jan. 15 at Massachusetts General Hospital. But before a surgeon could remove his kidney in a laparoscopic procedure, Mr. Hughes' blood pressure dropped dangerously to 40 over zero. Doctors refused to continue.
The Sherman family was still gathered around Mr. Sherman's bed, trying to absorb the setback, when Linda Sherman's cell phone rang. At the other end was a groggy Mr. Hughes, telling her: "You just tell Albert to hang on, that I'm still committed to this."
Doctors determined that Mr. Hughes had become dehydrated from fasting and medication prior to the transplant attempt. Massachusetts General officials were unwilling to try again to transplant his kidney, but the families persuaded Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston to perform the second, successful procedure on Feb. 26.
"Oh my God, we are walking on air, we are so happy," Risa Sherman said of her father, who left the hospital Saturday. "My children will grow up with their Poppa, and we have weddings to dance at with him. Daniel will be part of our lives forever."
Mr. Hughes is achy and can't lift anything heavy for a month. But he felt well enough yesterday for a museum trip with his wife and sons.
The Shermans' insurance covered Mr. Hughes' medical costs, and the couple also paid his travel expenses. He received no other financial compensation. But, he said, no amount of money could rival the experience of seeing tears rise in Mr. Sherman's eyes when they finally met a day after the transplant.
"He said, 'Words can't express what I have to say to you, but thank you for giving me back my life,' " Mr. Hughes said. "To see the happiness on the faces of his wife, his children -- it gave them their daddy back. You can't imagine it."
Cindi Lash can be reached at clash@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1973. Steve Levin can be reached at slevin@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1919.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08064/862323-53.stm#
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