Brothers Reach 35-Year Milestone Since Kidney Transplant

Friday, March 14, 2008

Brothers Reach a Milestone Since Kidney Transplant

By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez
Journal Staff Writer

There are days when Gene Barela forgets he ever donated one of his kidneys to his older brother Silas.
But way back in 1973, when Gene was still a 21-year-old Navy man stationed in Charleston, S.C., he made sure the transplant would never be too far out of his memory.
"This was about two months after the operation," Gene said. "I went out with the guys and I got totally trashed. And I woke up, and I didn't really remember anything. So I started to scratch my arm; it was itching. And this guy said, 'Hey, don't do that!' And I said, 'What?' '' And he said, 'You got a tattoo last night!' ''
The ink Gene sports to this day is a picture of a kidney underneath the words, "I GAVE" on his left bicep.
Next Friday will be the 35th anniversary since Gene, now 56, donated to Silas, now 72, and both of them have survived all those years with few complications.
In 1971, Silas got a severe case of strep throat, his wife, Irene, said. The high fever settled in his kidneys, and he got very high blood pressure. He went to a doctor, who took Irene aside to ask her a question:
"Does he have siblings?" Irene said the doctor asked. "They're going to need to be contacted because this man is going to need a kidney transplant."
In preparation for the transplant, Silas had to have both his own kidneys removed.
Between January and March of 1973, Silas lived without them and had to go to dialysis three times a week, eight hours each time.
"It was traumatic," Silas said.
Gene was in the Navy at the time, in San Diego aboard the U.S.S. O'Callahan. He said the ship had gotten orders to go to Vietnam, and the crew got a couple of weeks leave before departure. He came home to Albuquerque for the break, which is when he found out about his brother's dire condition and the need he had.
Doctors had tested all of Silas' two sisters and four brothers, and Gene turned out to be the best match.
"They explained it to me, and I said, 'Heck, yes.' '' Gene said. "I felt really good about it ... I said if I could keep my brother alive for one more day, just one more day, I would have done it."
Doctors told Silas his life expectancy would be about 15 years.
"The scariest time was when they pulled the needles from my dialysis machine," Silas said. "I was at the mercy of God and Gene and modern technology."
Dr. Thomas Borden said he was the head of the University of New Mexico Hospital's urology department from 1973 to 2007. He said 35 years is a remarkable milestone for the brothers.
"Transplants were a little beyond experimental in the early 1970s, but it was still unusual," Borden said. "I don't know how many have gone that long, but it's certainly noteworthy."
He said the hospital does about 50 to 60 transplants each year now.
In a strange twist of fate, the brothers' transplant anniversary, March 21, is the same day as their mother's birthday. Mela Barela was a community activist who pushed for such projects as the East San Jose community center, and had her own band, Mela's Kitchen Band.
Silas was a Spanish teacher at Rio Grande High School from 1959 to 1985, where Art Sanchez, a family friend, said he was known for his tendency to ignore students' questions that were asked in English— he would wait until the question was properly phrased en Español to respond.
"Mr. Barela has been a role model to all the community in the South Valley for many, many years," Sanchez said.
Silas said he was also at times the football coach, baseball coach and golf coach at the high school.
"I like the students," Silas said of Rio Grande. "I like the culture."
Later, Silas was an English as a Second Language teacher at Highland High School.
Gene spent his professional life working for and owning ceramic tile installation companies.
Gene said the transplant has never been a focus in his daily life. But he always has that fateful night under the needle in Charleston, S.C., to remind him.
"That morning, I went up to the mirror and I looked at that tattoo, and that's when I really became proud of myself," Barela said. "All that flashes through my mind for me is 'One more day, one more day.' ''

abqjournal.com
http://www.abqjournal.com/west/293453west_news03-14-08.htm