Man's kidney donation, and heroism, saves two lives

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Man's kidney donation, and heroism, saves two lives

By Susan Weich
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, Feb. 25 2009

When Dane Clark decided to save a life, he actually saved two.

Clark, 39, of Florissant, donated his kidney to a stranger Tuesday, setting in
motion an organ swap involving four people.

This is how it worked: Joel Swisher, 32, offered to give a kidney to his best
friend, Richard Pauli, 41. The men, who are both from Plymouth, Mich., didn't
have the same blood type, but Clark matched Pauli. So in exchange for Clark's
donation, Swisher agreed to give his kidney to a more compatible recipient,
Danny Pracht, 26, of Union.

Clark's gift is a rare one; since 2001, only a dozen local people have agreed
to donate a kidney without a specific recipient in mind. That's 1 percent of
about 150 kidney transplants performed each year at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in
St. Louis.

"Our doctors say that anyone who donates a kidney is a hero, but someone who
does it out of the goodness of his or her heart to whomever needs it, is
super-heroic," said Kathy Holleman, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

When I talked to Clark the day before his surgery, he said he has always had
the donor section on the back of his drivers license filled out in case he
died, but he'd never considered becoming a living donor until last summer.

About that time, his mother told him about a colleague whose 25-year-old son
was waiting for a kidney transplant. His mom offered to be a donor for him, but
she wasn't a match, he said.

Clark works as an X-ray technician at St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles,
so he has interacted with kidney patients many times.

"I would see these people on dialysis, and it was a terrible thing," he said.
"Some people have to come in three or four times a week for four to five hours
at a time, and it takes up a big part of their lives."

Clark said his mother asked him to consider donating to her colleague's son,
but he lives in Minnesota, and Clark found out that he'd have to pay for any
needed out-of-state travel. He realized he couldn't afford it.

He started surfing the Internet and read that 1,265 people in Missouri were
waiting for a kidney donor. Clark talked to doctors who reassured him about the
safety of the procedure. His wife, Jennifer, was supportive.

Some of his co-workers, including Chris Hazelwonder, were worried.

"Everybody likes Dane so much because he's got such a big heart, and he's one
of the most generous people you'll ever meet," she said. "So, in a way, it
wasn't really surprising that he would want to do something this big, but I was
a little scared for him."

Clark said he wasn't worried for himself. He has been reassured that if he ever
has a kidney problem, he will be placed at the top of the waiting list.

But Clark was worried about his brother. Even though his family has no history
of kidney disease, he wanted to be able to help if there ever was a need.

"My brother basically told me I can't go through life saying 'what if' about
everything," Clark said. "Besides, I might not be a match for him anyway."

Clark contacted Mid-America Transplant Services, a local organization that
helps connect donors with those on the waiting list. He had to go through a
battery of tests, including a routine physical, urinalysis, blood work, EKG,
chest X-ray and a psychological evaluation. Mid-America paid for the testing
but will be reimbursed by the recipient's insurance.

Clark found out in early January about the match. He said he wasn't nervous
about the surgery.

"I'm just kind of glad it's going to be over with; it's been a long process,"
he said.

He said he had no special eating instructions before the surgery but was told
to refrain from drinking alcohol after Saturday.

Last Friday, he and his co-workers went to happy hour at a St. Peters
restaurant. It was a kidney going away party.

All four surgeries went well Tuesday, and Clark should be out of the hospital
by Thursday afternoon. His recovery will take four to six weeks. He will be
taking emergency leave from his job, so he will be paid while he recovers.

"A lot of people told me they didn't know if they could do this for a total
stranger," he said. "Try to put the word out that you don't have to even know
the person to donate."

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