Sister gives brother a gift of herself-- literally

[okarol]

Friday, December 18, 2009 8:03 PM EST

Sister gives brother a gift of herself-- literally

By Kate Day Sager
Olean Times Herald
OLEAN - On Christmas Eve of last year, Susan King gave news to her older brother, Tom Whiteman, that would turn out to be one of the best gifts he could ever hope to receive.

What Ms. King told her ailing brother was that she had been tested and would be able to donate a kidney to him. For Mr. Whiteman, who had been suffering from kidney failure for the past 10 years and needed routine dialysis treatments, the news was wonderful to hear. But as it turned out, he would have to wait close to a year before the transplant operation could be done because of an infection that took a long time to heal.

On Dec. 2, Mr. Whiteman and his sister arrived at Buffalo General Hospital for the transplant surgery. Both were back at their homes in Olean within a week and happy to share their story of good fortune.

“This is the best Christmas present ever,” Mr. Whiteman said during an interview at his home earlier this week. “This gift is priceless. There’s no way I could ever repay Susan.”

A lifelong resident of Olean, Mr. Whiteman, 58, said his health issues first began 37 years ago when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He and his wife, Mary Ellen, were married only two weeks when he got the unsettling news.

“I’m the only one in the family who is diabetic,” he said, referring to his siblings and relatives.

Over the years, Mr. Whiteman was able to hold down a job as an office supervisor with the City of Olean’s Department of Public Works. He and his wife, who had worked as a payroll clerk at Stroehmann Bakeries LC in Olean, raised two children. Their son, Chris, and daughter, Michele Noblet, both live in Florida. The Whitemans said they also have a grandchild and another is on the way.

Mr. Whiteman said that in addition to kidney failure, his diabetes created a variety of health issues for him. He said he took a disability pension several years ago when his health worsened.

His sister said the family learned just how bad her brother’s health had become when he announced at the Christmas Day family gathering in 2007 that he had to begin taking dialysis treatments. Some time later, he was also placed on a transplant list at Buffalo General.

In January of 2008, he had fistula surgery in his arm that connected an artery to a vein that was used for his dialysis treatment. Later on, a blockage in the fistula led to infection and hospitalization. From August 2008 until September of 2009, he was in and out of doctors’ offices and hospitals in attempts to clear the infection.

The kidney transplant was put off until the infection was gone. Although the infection finally cleared up in September with the help of Dr. C. Brass in Buffalo, the transplant date was delayed several more times for a variety of reasons.

For her part, Ms. King, 48, said she decided to come to her brother’s aid because she had been “blessed with good health and good fortune in her life.”

She said that when they were children, she and her big brother, Tom, were always close.

She said that when they were children, she and her big brother, Tom, were always close.

“She was a great little sister,” Mr. Whiteman said.

Ms. King said she had lived and worked in Salamanca for 25 years and raised three daughters. She moved back to her hometown of Olean after a divorce.

“This donation was something I had to do,” Ms. King said. “It was hard to sit back and watch my brother be sick and possibly die ....”

She said their other siblings, three brothers, were unable to be donors due because of their own health issues.

In October of 2008 she contacted the Buffalo General transplant coordinator and inquired about the testing process. After finding out she was a good match for her brother, she spoke with her three daughters, who were very supportive of her decision.

“I wasn’t sure how he (her brother) was going to accept the news because he kept saying he wouldn’t let his kids donate” a kidney to him, Ms. King said. “I believe Tom and his family were in shock, they had no idea of what I was up to.”

Mr. Whiteman accepted the offer.

“I lost it that night,” he said.

In the past couple weeks following the surgery, Mr. Whiteman said he has been sore from the operation but feels much better.

“Right now, I feel 100 percent better than what I did,” Mr. Whiteman said. “That dialysis takes a lot out of you. When I’d come home (from treatments), the first thing I’d want to do is take a nap. And a couple hours later I’d want to take a nap again. I was constantly tired.”

Ms. King said the family has called her a hero and brave for helping her brother, but she doesn’t feel that way. She pointed out that her brother’s wife, Mary Ellen, is also a hero in this story.

“Mary Ellen always took care of him and took him everywhere. She also made sure he got to his appointments and took his meds,” Ms. King said.

Mrs. Whiteman said she and her husband will have to make two trips to Buffalo General every week for the next four to six weeks for tests and doctor visits. She said her husband also will have to take anti-rejection medications for his new kidney for the rest of his life.

Mr. Whiteman’s medical insurance paid for his and his sister’s operations. Ms. King said that her recovery will take several weeks and her employer, Salamanca Area Beverage Co., allowed her to take a disability leave.

“They’ve been more than supportive and willing to work with me for time off,” Ms. King said.

Mr. Whiteman said that with his improved health, he and his wife hope to travel more to Florida and visit their children, as well as to a beloved vacation spot in Tennessee.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that again and not have to worry,” Mr. Whiteman said.
      
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2009/12/18/news/doc4b2c0de9beb98207032104.txt