Page 54 - Issue4-November2017_online_opt
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Margie Pensak GIVKEIDTNHEEYGDIFOTNOOFRLSIFE
Ihave to admit that kidney trans-
plants were not on my radar screen machines to go around, it also became and his wife took Moshe to the University
until I received a large postcard from the medical ethics question of the time. of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, which
The Chesed Fund and Project Ezra Doctors had to decide “who shall live and specializes in pediatric kidney transplan-
a few weeks ago. This mass mailing who shall die”? Today, dialysis is common, tation. Although Moshe was born per-
alerted me to the fact that a kidney but a kidney transplant, which offers more fectly healthy, he experienced kidney fail-
donor was needed for a longtime freedom and a longer and better quality of ure when he was a year-and-half old. It
community member and friend, Dr. life, has become the optimum treatment. took a while to confirm what was wrong
Moshe (Morris) Lasson. I subsequently with Moshe, but once it was figured out,
saw an ad for a joint Bikur Cholim-Re- The main hurdle to organ transplan- he was on daily dialysis for a year.
newal event held last month to edu- tation in the past was the body’s rejec-
cate the Baltimore community about tion of a foreign organ. That has been “There were a lot of mixed emotions,
kidney donation. It informed me that largely overcome. According to Dr. Ed- because I wasn’t going to be able to ‘be
another longtime community member ward Kraus, a professor of medicine at there’ with Moshe during the surgery it-
and friend, Yossi Ryback, needed a kid- the Johns Hopkins University School of self,” says Aryeh, who didn’t let his wife get
ney transplant as well. I attended this Medicine, whose expertise is transplant tested. “I didn’t want to fight with her over
eye-opening program, one of close to 400 nephrology, “In the four decades that I who would be the donor. Being a donor is a
people who did. We all learned a lot, and have had the honor to care for kidney feeling that you carry with you your whole
many people took the cheek swab test for transplant patients, we have had many life and gives you a purpose in life.”
donor compatibility. advances and increasing tools in our tool
box. We now have a better understanding Aryeh prepared himself. He lost
Small but Powerful as to why individuals reject kidneys as weight to be in the best physical shape
“…Uvara vo nekavim nekavim, chalu- well as other transplanted organs.” for the surgery, and he also prepared
lim chalulim…[He] created within him himself emotionally to go through the
many openings and many cavities…” When Dr. Kraus started practicing at process, not knowing when exactly it
We recite the Asher Yatzar bracha sever- Hopkins in 1978, there were only two would happen.
al times a day, yet how many of us truly drugs available to prevent rejection. In
appreciate the modest little organ nestled 1978, 50 percent of the transplanted “Potential living donors go through
within us? Each of our kidneys, though kidneys were lost. Now, only 3 or 4 per- a rigorous evaluation,” says Dr. Kraus.
just the size of a fist, is powerful enough cent are lost at one year after transplant. “They must be healthy enough to have
to filter waste and excess fluids from our “Currently, the chance of rejection is the operation, and donating an organ
blood, a function crucial to maintain our 10 percent or less within the first year, must not place them at the risk of short-
health. Without kidneys, “…i’efshar le- and much less later on. At one year, 96 ening their life or quality of life. Individu-
hiskayem…it would be impossible to to 98% of kidneys are still functioning. als wanting to donate an organ receive a
survive….” Indeed, end stage kidney Many, many of these transplants contin- full medical and psychosocial evaluation
disease occurs when about 90 percent of ue to work very well for years, and our to make sure they are good candidates
kidney function has been lost. patients’ survival is very high.” and to prevent causing any harm to
them by being a donor.”
Not very long ago, if his kidneys failed, A Father’s Gift of Life
the person was doomed. The first dialysis That rate of success must be a great com- An “Amazing Experience”
machine, which came into common use fort to Aryeh Langer, whom I met at the I met another local hero at the event.
in the early 1960s, was hailed as a mi- September 26th event. Aryeh donated his The idea of donating her kidney was not
raculous lifesaver. But with not enough kidney to his firstborn son, Moshe, nine foreign to Miriam Jacoby. Years ago, her
years ago, when the child was five years cousin’s baby was born with very little kid-
old. Although they live in Baltimore, he ney function. When he turned five, he re-
ceived a kidney transplant from his father.
46 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Margie Pensak GIVKEIDTNHEEYGDIFOTNOOFRLSIFE
Ihave to admit that kidney trans-
plants were not on my radar screen machines to go around, it also became and his wife took Moshe to the University
until I received a large postcard from the medical ethics question of the time. of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, which
The Chesed Fund and Project Ezra Doctors had to decide “who shall live and specializes in pediatric kidney transplan-
a few weeks ago. This mass mailing who shall die”? Today, dialysis is common, tation. Although Moshe was born per-
alerted me to the fact that a kidney but a kidney transplant, which offers more fectly healthy, he experienced kidney fail-
donor was needed for a longtime freedom and a longer and better quality of ure when he was a year-and-half old. It
community member and friend, Dr. life, has become the optimum treatment. took a while to confirm what was wrong
Moshe (Morris) Lasson. I subsequently with Moshe, but once it was figured out,
saw an ad for a joint Bikur Cholim-Re- The main hurdle to organ transplan- he was on daily dialysis for a year.
newal event held last month to edu- tation in the past was the body’s rejec-
cate the Baltimore community about tion of a foreign organ. That has been “There were a lot of mixed emotions,
kidney donation. It informed me that largely overcome. According to Dr. Ed- because I wasn’t going to be able to ‘be
another longtime community member ward Kraus, a professor of medicine at there’ with Moshe during the surgery it-
and friend, Yossi Ryback, needed a kid- the Johns Hopkins University School of self,” says Aryeh, who didn’t let his wife get
ney transplant as well. I attended this Medicine, whose expertise is transplant tested. “I didn’t want to fight with her over
eye-opening program, one of close to 400 nephrology, “In the four decades that I who would be the donor. Being a donor is a
people who did. We all learned a lot, and have had the honor to care for kidney feeling that you carry with you your whole
many people took the cheek swab test for transplant patients, we have had many life and gives you a purpose in life.”
donor compatibility. advances and increasing tools in our tool
box. We now have a better understanding Aryeh prepared himself. He lost
Small but Powerful as to why individuals reject kidneys as weight to be in the best physical shape
“…Uvara vo nekavim nekavim, chalu- well as other transplanted organs.” for the surgery, and he also prepared
lim chalulim…[He] created within him himself emotionally to go through the
many openings and many cavities…” When Dr. Kraus started practicing at process, not knowing when exactly it
We recite the Asher Yatzar bracha sever- Hopkins in 1978, there were only two would happen.
al times a day, yet how many of us truly drugs available to prevent rejection. In
appreciate the modest little organ nestled 1978, 50 percent of the transplanted “Potential living donors go through
within us? Each of our kidneys, though kidneys were lost. Now, only 3 or 4 per- a rigorous evaluation,” says Dr. Kraus.
just the size of a fist, is powerful enough cent are lost at one year after transplant. “They must be healthy enough to have
to filter waste and excess fluids from our “Currently, the chance of rejection is the operation, and donating an organ
blood, a function crucial to maintain our 10 percent or less within the first year, must not place them at the risk of short-
health. Without kidneys, “…i’efshar le- and much less later on. At one year, 96 ening their life or quality of life. Individu-
hiskayem…it would be impossible to to 98% of kidneys are still functioning. als wanting to donate an organ receive a
survive….” Indeed, end stage kidney Many, many of these transplants contin- full medical and psychosocial evaluation
disease occurs when about 90 percent of ue to work very well for years, and our to make sure they are good candidates
kidney function has been lost. patients’ survival is very high.” and to prevent causing any harm to
them by being a donor.”
Not very long ago, if his kidneys failed, A Father’s Gift of Life
the person was doomed. The first dialysis That rate of success must be a great com- An “Amazing Experience”
machine, which came into common use fort to Aryeh Langer, whom I met at the I met another local hero at the event.
in the early 1960s, was hailed as a mi- September 26th event. Aryeh donated his The idea of donating her kidney was not
raculous lifesaver. But with not enough kidney to his firstborn son, Moshe, nine foreign to Miriam Jacoby. Years ago, her
years ago, when the child was five years cousin’s baby was born with very little kid-
old. Although they live in Baltimore, he ney function. When he turned five, he re-
ceived a kidney transplant from his father.
46 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
