THANKSGIVING 1999 1 am alive to enjoy another Thanksgiving because of Barbara Tremaine Sanford. You all know the story of our meeting at the last Southside High reunion for the first time in 40 years. Offering to donate a kidney to me wasn't enough to save my life. Barbara and I had to go out of State, to Illinois, to find a doctor to perform the operation. The Medical Community in New Jersey refused to perform the operation because they considered a relationship outside a familial relationship unnatural and brought with it the potential of social problems. In other words, they were making a moral judgment and concluding that ethics took priority over life. Yet, what was going to save me from certain death? My immediate family couldn't contribute because they faced the possibility of kidney failure having the same bad genes. My brother and sister both had kidney conditions that were treated successfully and I have 3 first cousins living with kidney transplants. After 3 mini strokes, several heart attacks, and rapidly advancing hardening of the arteries following the high school reunion, I was in hopeless condition. Years of waiting for a cadaver kidney and being on top of the list wasn't enough; I was being passed over from the national waiting list. The medical community decided I was too weak to survive an operation and at best I could expect a kidney that was only a marginally acceptable kidney. Receiving a marginally acceptable cadaver kidney would almost certainly be the final nail in my coffin. Even in Illinois before performing the operation, Barbara's persistence made the difference in my survival. The surgeon advised her that he didn"t realize how much my health had declined and that I might not survive the operation. She could be risking her life for no reason. Barbara's answer to that was "Doctor, are you going to get on with this or are you going to make as look for another surgeon?" or words to that effect. Barbara has jested with me from day one about how her powerful kidney would straighten me out. In reality, that is close to the truth. Not only did her kidney save my life, but it does appear to be more powerful than my own ever had been. For those of you who know about medical things, Barbara"s kidney has maintained a creatnine reading of 1.4 while my own never was better than 1.6. That gives me the strength to let nature heal the other parts of me that have suffered deterioration. Not having tolerated dialysis very well for those 5 1/2 years, I am fortunate to be able to relate this story. I still take 40 pills a day. It is taking a long time to recover, but I am aware that I must be careful of my activities until I am stronger. The body heals itself with the passing of time. Finally, I wish to thank all of you who have prayed for my recovery and sent me hundreds of cards and letters. Even people not in our class who were members of my dad's church have seen the Web Site and responded in kind. Yes, I believe that God is in us. He is certainly in Barbara. Thank God with me this Thanksgiving Day for making this extraordinary thing happen. Some would call it a miracle. Wishing God's love to you all, Mark Wilson © 1999 SHS Class of '58
Please
send your comments, questions and suggestions to us at |
