Families forever intertwined by fortunate case of kidney donation

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Families forever intertwined by fortunate case of kidney donation

By Chyna Broadnax
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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Two people needed kidneys. Two others had matches.

It may sound commonplace, but siblings Ryan and Elizabeth Cress and a couple from Gastonia would tell you it is much more significant.

After two years of waiting for a kidney transplant, Ryan received a kidney from Rodney Robinson of Gastonia.

Rodney was able to give Ryan another chance at living a normal life. In turn, Elizabeth was able to do the same for Rodney’s wife, Belinda.

The transplant procedures took about six hours June 17 at Carolinas Medical Center.

Ryan, who had been diagnosed with idiopathic kidney disease, said he’s feeling much better since the surgery - physically and emotionally.

“I have a more positive outlook for the future,” the 27-year-old said.

Belinda, who learned she had kidney disease two years ago and has been on dialysis for one year, said she couldn’t believe she was getting a new kidney.

“It’s really been wonderful,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

“If I could have hand-picked them myself, I couldn’t have done a better job.”

Failed attempts

Over the past two years, Ryan had three instances in which he was in line for a transplant. All three fell through.

During that time, Elizabeth, 23, thought she would be the one to help.

“For some reason, I always thought I was supposed to be the one to give him the kidney,” she said.

Although she wasn’t a match for her brother, she was an integral part of making the procedure a reality.

“I thought we could get him off dialysis and back to a normal life,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking about myself - I was thinking about Ryan.”

Once Ryan found out about the possible surgery, his big brother instincts kicked in and he immediately became concerned with the welfare of his younger sister.

“My first thought was to think about Elizabeth losing a kidney and how she would live without one kidney,” he said.

“I loved her before but now more than ever. I’d do it for her in a second, but never imagined she’d have to do it.”

Their mother, Paula, said it is a relief to have both her children pull through the surgeries successfully.

“It’s nice to have our son back the way he was before he became sick,” she said.

Feeling better

Before the surgery, Ryan’s life was difficult.

For 26 months, he endured eight hours of dialysis per day and the loss of appetite, among other side effects.

He lost more than 35 pounds, and even now, he is still trying to get back to his normal weight.

He used to take 30 or so pills per day and now is down to 16.
Days before the surgery, he had 3 percent kidney function, he said.

But since the surgery, Ryan has been off dialysis.

Although the road to recovery has just begun, Ryan said he can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

He looks forward to engaging in activities that have been a distant memory for quite some time, including swimming, skiing and vacationing.

“The big worry is behind us, and it feels good to have that stress and anxiety gone and you can look forward to a normal life,” he said.

His dad, Tim, gets teary-eyed thinking about how far his son has come and how Elizabeth was able to share in his journey.
“(Elizabeth) was a hero, and Rodney is also because they’re the ones that made this sacrifice,” he said.

Elizabeth doesn’t see her actions as heroic but as something she had to do for her big brother.

“(Rodney and I) didn’t feel this was a sacrifice,” she said. “We both wanted to do this for our family members.”

“I wanted him to get better,” she added. “How could I not do it for him? I wanted him to get back to my old brother.”

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