Daughter Gives Dying Mother Her Kidney

[okarol]

Daughter Gives Dying Mother Her Kidney
Transplant Performed At UPMC Hospital

POSTED: 3:20 pm EDT October 15, 2007


WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. -- Nearly six months after a kidney transplant, 67-year-old Betty Doak is one of the most active members of the Senior Sneakers Fitness Program at the Washington Senior Center.

Diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago, she received a new kidney in April thanks to her daughter, 42-year-old Marie Hawk, who made the kidney donation.

"She’s definitely a child of God, no doubt about that … she really is," said Doak.

Her daughter lives in Texas where she is a nurse in a hospital critical care unit. She was recently named employee of the month, an honor the hospital calls the Hero at Heart Award.

"She takes her nursing profession very much to heart. She’s a very good nurse and she loves life," said Doak.

It took persuasion by her daughter to get Doak to agree to the transplant.

"I did not want her to do it, because she's my child. But my daughter has a way of getting things she wants. She insisted, so we went along with it," said Doak.

The transplant was performed at UPMC Montifiore Hospital in Oakland. Doak said her daughter spent several weeks with her, then went back to work in Texas.

"She said I would do the same thing for her and she's right. I would. But I’m a little bit older than she is. She’s got a lot of life in her," said Doak.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/14344156/detail.html