Williamsport woman gives kidney to friend

[okarol]

Williamsport woman gives kidney to friend

March 27, 2008

By JANET HEIM (janeth@herald-mail.com)

Aleta Irving and Lisa Koontz used to joke that they are like family. That bond took on a different meaning when Koontz donated one of her kidneys to Irving.

The women have worked together for Dr. Ronald Toothman and Dr. Thomas Barra for 19 years and said they felt a strong connection because of similar personalities, shared values and rock-solid faith. Koontz, 41, was 21 when she started working with Irving.

"She's watched me grow up a little bit," Koontz said.

Irving, 58, had always enjoyed good health. About a year ago, though, she started having chills and developed a low-grade fever and double pneumonia.

The diagnosis was Good Pastures syndrome, a disease in which the body attacks the kidneys and lungs. By May 2006, Irving was on kidney dialysis three times a week.

"I'm usually a pretty strong person. This really knocked me off my feet," said Irving, who lives on Cool Hollow Road, southeast of Hagerstown.

Irving said her doctor hoped her kidneys would resume their function, as her lungs did. When that didn't happen, family members were tested for possible kidney donation to Irving.

Most people have two kidneys, and most healthy people can lead a normal life with just one kidney.

Irving has seven siblings, three children and four grandchildren. Siblings usually provide the best match, and four of her brothers and a close friend agreed to be tested.

She was also put on the cadaver transplant list, although transplants using live organs have a higher success rate, Irving said. Irving's 69-year-old brother, John Pereschuk, a "Florida snowbird" who lives in Falling Waters, W.Va., was the match they were looking for.

After rigorous testing and lots of prayer, the two reached pre-admissions testing only to discover Pereschuk had only one kidney and could not be a donor. Irving said her brother was devastated at the turn of events, as was Koontz.

"You live this with her. My heart was so saddened," said Koontz, of Williamsport.

Koontz's sadness turned into action. She turned to prayer and the Internet and received her husband's support to begin the rigorous testing to see if she was a match.

"The Bible teaches you that a friend will lay down his life for a friend. All I had to do was give a kidney," Koontz said.

Koontz discovered she matched Irving in four of six markers, the same as if she were a sibling.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, there were 6,036 living donor kidney transplants in the United States in 2007. Twenty percent of the donors were unrelated and were not spouses.

Irving received several calls about donor cadaver kidneys in December 2007, but Koontz said she was relieved when they didn't work out, knowing a live kidney was better for Irving.

Surgery was scheduled at University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore for April 2, then moved up to Feb. 29.

That gave Koontz several weeks to make arrangements for her family, including her three children, ages 8, 14 and 17. Irving began counting down her final dialysis treatments.

On the day of the surgery, Irving went into anaphylactic shock because of a reaction to the immunosuppresant.

The dual surgeries were halted just in time. Five minutes later, and the arteries would have been cut to Koontz's kidney.

After Irving was stabilized, it was agreed the surgery could be done the following Monday.

The surgeries went as planned, but led to complications. Koontz's three-day hospital stay turned into 10 days.

Irving had to have a second surgery, which meant she didn't return home until March 12.

She said her gratitude to Koontz will last the rest of her life.

Both have been overwhelmed by the support of their families and churches - from cards to meals to prayers.

They said they hope their story will encourage people to consider being live donors or to sign up to be organ donors on their driver licenses.

"If just one donor comes forward and helps another," Irving said.

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