Cab driver says offer of organ nothing more than a gesture of friendshipby Kathleen Thurber
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Published: Sunday, July 12, 2009 1:12 AM CDT
Letting a smile break out across her face, Keri Evans sat up a little taller in her wheelchair one recent afternoon and said if she didn't have to plan her week around grueling dialysis treatments she'd be free to do, well, anything.
"Wonderful," she said, describing what life would be like without the three-hour appointments she has three times each week. "I'd have a little bit more freedom."
It's freedom that's within reach, too, after the Midessa Transportation driver who was assigned to take Evans to treatments when she began more than two years ago offered to donate a kidney.
"I have two. I just told her, 'I'll give you one of mine,'" said Midessa van driver Carol Hambright, matter-of-factly. "It's not like she's asking for an arm or a leg."
After driving for more than 20 years, Hambright said she's become attached to several clients, but never shared a bond quite like the one she and Evans have developed, so when the need arose, she wanted to fill it.
"I never thought twice about it, I never did," Hambright said.
The two, they both admit, are an unlikely pair as Hambright is typically bubbling with energy and proudly displaying her tattoos and body piercings, while Evans speaks softly and leans into the back of her wheelchair donning a plain-colored top and a faint smile.
But, they said, after they'd driven to a few dialysis treatments, both realized they had more in common than they thought.
They started talking about families, pets and other random topics on the drives and somewhere in the regular ritual of medical visits found they'd become inseparable friends.
"She's crazy and I'm even crazier," Hambright said, laughing slightly. "I've become her friend real quick."
Evans, who's suffered from diabetes since she was 5 and is experiencing kidney failure as a result of the disease, said even as she got to know Hambright, she kept expecting to see different drivers as taxi services don't usually keep one person on the same stops.
But, she said, Hambright kept coming back and would be there to talk to her when she prepared to go to treatments at 4:30 a.m. each morning and as she struggled to keep her strength following the sessions hours later.
"I thought this was the end of my life," she said. "Dialysis is severe. You want to give up."
That nagging feeling of defeat was heightened when Evans went to San Antonio in the midst of her treatments and learned the registry list for receiving a new kidney was about 80,000 people long and would likely take at least five years to work toward the top of.
Faithful as always, Hambright was there to pick her up at Midland International Airport when she returned.
But when she got in the van with Hambright expecting their normal exchange to begin, Evans said she started off by telling her friend she wouldn't need any more rides, she was stopping treatments.
Within moments, Hambright said, she'd made up her mind.
Shocked more than thankful in those first few seconds, Evans said she stared ahead, stuttering 'are you sure?' every so often and telling Hambright while the gesture was more than appreciated, it certainly wasn't necessary.
"You're giving up your body organ is what you're doing," Evans said she reminded her.
But, Hambright said, as with most things, once she'd made up her mind she wasn't going to shift.
The next day, Hambright called the Organ Sharing Alliance office in San Antonio three times trying to get through to tell them Evans had a donor.
They sent up the necessary supplies and Hambright was tested at Midland Dialysis.
When the results came back, Evans said, the two matched in every way but their blood type, which unfortunately meant Hambright's kidney wouldn't work.
However, before disappointment set in, the two were informed their names had been added to a new type of registry -- the paired exchange list.
It works by allowing people like Hambright and Evans to pair with other duos who also aren't a perfect match, said Southwest Transplant Alliance spokeswoman Pam Silvestri.
Where in the past willing donors who weren't matches were told thank you and basically sent on their way, Silvestri said, this new system allows a person to still help their friend or relative by giving an organ to someone else in exchange for an organ that will be donated to their loved one.
Sometimes, Silvestri said, it takes three and four-way pairings to find matches for everyone on the registry. But, she said, they're usually able to connect people in a shorter time frame than those on traditional lists and are fulfilling the needs of more people than they'd been able to before.
The procedures are scheduled so donations and transplants for each pair occur at exactly the same time so one donor isn't able to back out once their relative or friend has a new organ, Silvestri said.
Hambright now works a different route, still serving clients with disabilities but not regularly driving Evans, who is continuing to receive dialysis to keep her kidneys going until a suitable transplant is found.
But, Evans said, before rattling off Hambright's cell phone number from memory, the two still talk continuously, mostly about their anticipation of the organ exchange, but also about the daily life stuff that brought them so close in the first place.
"It's a great sacrifice on her part and it takes someone special in order to put their life on the line like that," Evans said.
Hambright, though, still insists her gesture is nothing any friend wouldn't do.
"It's going to save her life, you know, why not?" Hambright said.
Kathleen Thurber can be reached at kthurber@mrt.com.
For information about becoming an organ donor:
www.organ.orghttp://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2009/07/12/news/top_stories/organ_donation_sunday.txt
I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Author
