Good News: Woman's gift of love to sister includes kidney

Good News: Woman's gift of love to sister includes kidney
By Loretta Robinson | The Muskegon Chronicl...
November 30, 2009, 2:34PM

Magnolia (Maggie) Knox loves her older sister, Allean Robertson, with all of her heart — and now with a kidney.

On Nov. 20, Knox and Robertson, both of Muskegon, underwent surgery at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor where Robertson received one of Knox’s kidneys.

The operation was a success, but they must wait to see if Robertson’s body accepts or rejects her sister’s gift of life “and love,” said 54-year-old Knox.

It’s a waiting game Robertson understands.

The 58-year-old wife and mother of three has been a diabetic for 20 years and on dialysis and a waiting list for a kidney transplant for two years.

The retired L-3 Communications employee on medical disability said she was prepared to wait her lifetime for a kidney donor, preferably a stranger.

From the onset of her kidney ailments, she stressed to family members and friends not to consider themselves obligated to make the “sacrifice” of becoming her donor.

“She said she wouldn’t want to put someone through that,” Knox said days before the surgery.

However, Robertson and Knox both believed the odds were slim of Robertson becoming a donor recipient in the near future. There were strikes against Robertson, including the fact that she was an African American with diabetes.

According to the two sisters, health isn’t the only factor to become a kidney recipient. Finding a donor that genetically, racially and ethnically matched also is often vital for a successful kidney transplant. Yet, the increasing demand for African American kidney donors far outmatches the supply.

To lessen her sister’s odds and offer her a “better quality of life,” Knox said she made an appointment at the University of Michigan Hospital to be tested as a possible kidney donor for Robertson.

Knox was a match.

Robertson, who is the sibling of six sisters (one deceased) and four brothers (one deceased), had mixed emotions about the test results.

“I always knew she did have that kind of love for me, but it was put to the test, and we don’t know what we’ll do until we’re put to the test,” Robertson said days before the surgery.

Said Knox: “I just felt that if I was in the same predicament, I would want someone to love me enough to make that sacrifice for me.”

Robertson is grateful to her sister, but said Knox’s kidney wasn’t the “greatest gift” her sister has given her.

“She was younger than me, but she found Christ, then led me to him,” Robertson said.

Robertson and Knox are recovering from Friday’s surgeries and family and friends continue to rally around them in support.

Those supporters include their spouses, children, grandchildren and their parents, Oscar and Daisy Jones of Muskegon Heights, who have been busy enlisting drivers to take to Robertson to Ann Arbor for a series of weekly checkups.

While the Joneses recruit drivers, they’re putting the steering wheel of their daughters’ fate and recovery in God’s hand.

“I know God rules everything,” Daisy Jones said days before the surgery. “He’ll take care of them if it’s his will.”

“I’m real thankful to have two daughters who are close together,” Oscar Jones said. “I thank God for Maggie donating a kidney to her sister. It shows that they care for each other. We’ve been blessed and I’m thankful for it.”

Knox will spend the next four to six weeks recovering, then return to work as an Upward Bound academic advisor at Muskegon Community College.

And while some folks might consider Knox’s sacrifice heroic, she calls it sisterly love.

“You know we say we love, but when you can show love in action, that takes it to a different magnitude ... it’s a small sacrifice to what Jesus did for us,” she said.

Knox and Robertson hope their story will inspire others to become organ donors, “especially African American donors, there aren’t enough of them,” Knox said.

Good Deeds

A cancer benefit for Mike Maycroft Oct. 25 at DJ’s Pub on Henry Street not only raised the roof off the place with great music, a pool tourney, auctions, raffle and more, it also collected enough cash to help Maycroft with expenses during his battle with cancer.

According to Debby Schiller, co-owner of the local pub, Maycroft is a beloved and “wonderful” patron and non-smoker and non-drinker at the pub, who didn’t ask for help, “but, we wanted to help him,” so they scheduled the benefit.

“We don’t do a lot of them, but when we do, we make sure it’s for a good cause,” Schiller said. “The patrons were very generous.” Maycroft is employed, unable to work and uninsured. She hopes the funds will help until he’s able to return to work. “We’re hoping that it (the cancer) goes into remission and we can have him as a part of our lives for a while longer,” Schiller said.

With the lack of curbside recycling services available this year in some areas of the county, Muskegon Catholic Central School’s band parents made an offer some local residents weren’t about to refuse.

According to MCC band teacher Adam Weber, the group conducted a recycling drive in September in which donors were encouraged to either drop off or make arrangements to have their newspapers picked up. Weber said the paper collection was later given to Nu-Wool, a “company that turns the newspaper into insulation”

The fall drive earned the group $340. Their next recycling drive will be April 30 and May 1, 2010. For more information, call Weber at 755-2201, ext. 345.

1125GOODNEWS1Chronicle/Ken StevensBrad and Missy Messer of Muskegon completed the Detroit Free Press Flagstar Marathon 2009 in October. They also raised money to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Local residents Brad and Missy Messer’s efforts to collect money and bring awareness to the efforts of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society placed them in the fast lane of success in October as participants of the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon. It was the couple’s first marathon attempt and they were thrilled to cross the finish line.

They collected more than $3,000 to give to the cancer society from a host of fundraisers such as “Eat For a Cure” events that were hosted at the Muskegon Athletic Club and the Glenside Pub. “This was a great experience for a great cause and it really makes you feel proud to finish something like this,” Brad Messers said.

E-mail Loretta Robinson at lrobinson@muskegonchronicle.com

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2009/11/good_news_womans_gift_of_love.html