Ludington woman receives a kidney from best friend

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Gift of life
Ludington woman receives a kidney from best friend

Melissa McGuire - Daily News Staff Writer

Friday, January 2, 2009

They have known each other since they were two and six years old, and in August they became closer than they ever imagined Jill Hackett now lives with one of Krystal Austins kidneys.

Hackett had a kidney transplant on Aug. 25 and is excited to get back to doing the activities she has always liked to do.

She gave me my life back, said Hackett. I can now do all of the stuff that I wanted to do. I can go swimming and canoeing in the summer. Before I got sick I was a lifeguard and could do anything.

I am just happy she is still here and there are no tubes in her, Austin said. And now she gets to do anything she wants.

Hackett, now 32, fell off of a horse and landed on a jump when she was in her late teens and something caused her kidneys to start malfunction.

The doctors dont know exactly how it happened, they thought maybe I jarred my kidneys, Hackett said. I was homeschooled and had to lay on my back with my feet in the air. They ended up staying functional at 50-percent for 14 years.

Hackett said two years ago she was very sick for a month and her kidneys shut off completely, leaving her with chest tubes and going in for dialysis three times a week for five hours at a time, which eventually slowed down.

It was scary for me, living basically by tubes when I was on dialysis, Hackett said. When you are on dialysis your life is restricted. I thought I would be on it forever because I was told it could take up to five years for a match for transplant.

Hackett was adopted and her case had been closed, so she had no way to find out information about her birth parents. Her mother, Jean Anderson, was eligible to donate a kidney, however after months of testing they finally decided she wouldnt be a good fit, thats where Austin came in. She knew she had the O-negative blood type that would be a match for Hackett.

She had been there for me the whole time I was sick, Hackett said. I was nervous that she was going to do it, she has three kids and is married. When the time came, it was hard, it was like my little sister going into the hospital and I couldnt do anything about it.

Austin knew Hackett would have to wait up to six months before even getting on the up to five year waiting list and wanted to help.

Her mom sent out an e-mail and I felt God wanted me to do it, Austin said. I found out in July that I was a match and I picked the date of the surgery. I wanted to get it done before the holiday so she can enjoy it.

Being a donor, Austin learned a lot about the kidneys.

You can actually live with only one and feel absolutely normal, Austin said. My recovery was six weeks. My last child was taken by Cesarean section and I had the same restrictions. I was pain free in one week.

Austin had her kidney taken by laproscopic surgery which left her a little scar, while Hackett had a big scar and more recovery time.

When they took my kidney, I guess I had a beautiful one, Austin said.

Yeah, I have a picture of the kidney, said Hackett.

Now that Austin has given her kidney to Hackett, she wants others to know that it isnt a really big deal surgery.

Austin, because she was going to be the donor, was tested for months to make sure she was ready for the surgery.

Its pretty routine, Austin said. They do one every Monday at St. Marys Hospital in Grand Rapids.

I was given a pillow with the number 1558 on it, that was because I was number 1,558 of kidney transplant surgeries by the hospital, said Hackett.

In the hospital, Austin said she was in a luxury room.

They treat the donors really well, Austin said. I had my own room, which was really big, had my own chef and they would cook anything I wanted.

I was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) with all of the heart patients who needed critical care. The room was tiny but they were on top of me. She had to come visit me because I wasnt allowed to leave my room.

Hackett is still being watched for another three months.

I have blood work every other week and if I am sick, I cant stay in Ludington. I have to go to intensive care no matter what, said Hackett. Anything could make my body reject the kidney and they are scared that it will reject.

Through the process, Hackett has been staying upbeat thanks to her dogs, Kahlua and Primo.

They are my kids, Hackett said. When I was in the hospital I had a picture of them hanging up. Its nice that I can play with them again.

Austin wants everyone to know that the surgery is not as dangerous as it used to be.

People tried to talk me out of it because of the risk, Austin said. Doctors told me the C-section was probably more dangerous because they didnt do all of the tests they did for the transplant surgery.

Austin said it was a big faith booster for her that everything came out fine.

I am ready for summer to come, Hackett said.

mmcguire@ludingtondailynews.com

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=42941