Husband, wife will share more than memories after kidney transplant

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Husband, wife will share more than memories after kidney transplant

By WENDY MITCHELL, Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 9, 2007 10:59 PM EDT   

FOSTER -- If everything works out the way Candy Brown-Flora hopes, she will be sharing more than a family and a long life with her husband, Steve Flora.

"Though he is not considered a compatible kidney, Steve is the best match for me," said Flora on Tuesday. "He sent in the last things yesterday."

A few more lab results need to be processed before the couple travels to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., in preparation for kidney transplant surgery for Candy Flora, with her husband as the donor.

"I am so excited -- I have calmed down a bit now -- but I was so glad to find out this was going to happen," said Flora.

Flora suffers from a genetic condition called IgA nephropathy which progressed fast and requires kidney dialysis six days a week, for three hours a day.

Though the condition is considered genetic, Flora has been advised by her doctors that her children do not need to be tested.

"That is a blessing," said Flora.

Modern technology allows Flora to perform dialysis at her home; she has a fistula implanted to allow repeated dialysis.

"When they first told me I was going to have to stick myself with a needle, I thought I'd never be able to do it, but after the first few times it got so I could hardly feel it," said Flora.

Finding a donor has been difficult.

Having a kidney transplant first means finding a compatible donor. Because Flora had given birth there were antibodies in her system which made finding a donor a long shot, she said.

"It would have been nearly impossible to find a match because of that. In Cincinnati, they won't do an incompatible transplant and they told me it may be 4-5 years before a kidney may come along," said Flora.

Undaunted, she turned to the Internet after watching a television program on The Discovery Channel.

"That is how I found the program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. It was a life saver that I saw the Discovery Channel show," said Flora.

Once the couple gets to Baltimore there will be more tests on Steve Flora before a surgery date is scheduled.

"They will have to do a CAT scan of his kidneys. Then, after the operation, Steve will have to stay a week and I will have to stay a month to make sure everything is OK," said Flora.

Though insurance is helping with some expenses, transportation and lodging for the couple is not covered and post surgery medicines are expected to be costly.

"We have a $10/$30 co-pay on prescriptions. For example, if I have to take 10 medicines to prevent rejection it could cost $10 each every time I have to get them," said Flora.

Community fund-raisers over the summer, including a bake sale by her children, Steven, Ryan, Madison and Jordyn, and family members, have helped create a fund to offset transplant transportation expenses. A spaghetti supper fund-raiser is also scheduled for Oct, 13, 5-8 p.m., at the Watson Building in Brooksville.

"This is awesome, I can't believe how people have come together to help us," said Flora.

Her ordeal has also sparked another goal for Flora.

"It's nothing for myself; I want people to learn about kidney disease and the affects of kidney failure," she said.

For information on IgA nephropathy disease go to http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/iganephropathy/index.htm or www.johnshopkinsmedicine.org.

For more area news, go to http://www.bracken-online.com.

Contact Wendy Mitchell at wendy.mitchell@lee.net or call 564-9091, ext. 276.

http://www.maysville-online.com/articles/2007/10/09/local_news/2005donor.txt