Organ donation has saved several lives in family

[okarol]

Organ donation has saved several lives in family

By Thad Angelloz
Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 11:00 a.m.

CHOUPIC — Sheldon “Boo” Landry said he has seen more tragedy in his 71-year life than he'd care to admit.

Along with watching his mother and two siblings die, Landry almost lost a son at the age of 36. It wasn't until 1975, that the family's mysterious deaths were explained. That's when Sheldon's son, Ralph, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease — the same ailment previous family members suffered from.

According to Sheldon, the disease is one where fluid-filled cysts grow inside the kidney.

The Mayo Clinic's website says “the greatest risk for people with polycystic kidney disease is developing high blood pressure. Kidney failure is another common problem for people with polycystic kidney disease.”

“It basically stops the organ's ability to operate properly,” Sheldon added.

The diagnosis of Ralph's condition at 14 unlocked a complicated family mystery that could be tracked to Sheldon's mother, Rena Perk.

Perk died of renal failure in 1961.

“No one ever found out what she had,” Sheldon said. “She would complain of certain things and she would get fluid in her legs and feet, but they never diagnosed what she had because they didn't know what it was.”

Fourteen years later, a firm diagnosis, in 1975, confirmed that a rash of deaths in the family stemmed from undiagnosed polycystic kidney disease.

“We remembered bringing him to the doctor when he was 4 because he had blood in his urine,” Sheldon said. “At first, the doctors didn't seem overly concerned. But the more they looked at it the more it appeared that something might be wrong.”

After discovering the disease, the family took a wait-and-see approach until the condition reached a critical point where the choice of a transplant was made.

Ralph's cousin, Keith, stepped up to offer one of his kidneys.

Prior to receiving the kidney, Ralph had to go through dialysis treatments three times a week leading up to the 1997 operation.

Ralph's aunt, Carolyn Percle, who was also diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, said her son, Keith, had concerns about where his mother would receive a kidney in the event she needed one.

Percle and her two sisters, Marion Granier and Susan Ory, have also since been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease.

“It was more important to me for the kidney to go to (Ralph) over me,” Carolyn said. “He was a young man with a young family.”

Within the last four years, Carolyn, Sheldon and Susan, have all received transplants and have responded well.

Sheldon said everyone's diagnosis age is different. He didn't show significant signs of polycystic kidney disease until 59.

“I'm an organ donor and have been for a long time,” Sheldon said. Organ donation “saved my life and I can't say enough good things about it.”

Carolyn said modern medicine and organ donation have given her family a shot to live a relatively normal existence, despite their inherited kidney disease.

“We feel blessed because our mother didn't have this chance,” she said. “Receiving a new kidney has been a great gift for all of us.”

However, watching family members go through a similar journey hasn't been easy, according to Sheldon's wife, Ruth.

“It's part of our life,” Ruth said. “It's something all of us lives with. ... Let me tell you, in my life, I've prayed a whole lot.”

Choosing to get a transplant has proved invaluable for Carolyn, Sheldon and Susan, but Marion continues to use dialysis as a way to treat the disease, due in part to medical costs.

However, the drugs come at another cost, as they weaken the body's immune system.

“If we get sick, it takes our bodies longer to fight it off,” Sheldon said.

Sharing their story of tragedy and personal perserverance is something they hope will give others encouragement.

“You have to take it one day at a time,” Carolyn said. “Some days are better than others, but at least we're still here.”

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20100616/ARTICLES/100619495?Title=Organ-donation-has-saved-several-lives-in-family