Family Support
Lynn’s Medical Condition
What the Transplant Means to Lynn
Jackie's Thoughts

Family Support
When her doctor told Lynn Rogers that she needed a kidney transplant, she gathered her large family of seven brothers and sisters together and explained that she would have the best chance of survival with a kidney from a living donor – called a living donor transplant. She wanted to know if anyone could help.

Lynn was extremely fortunate in that all of her siblings offered to help. One of her siblings is Jackie Shirley, who is three years younger than Lynn. Jackie remembers that when she was listening to Lynn tell the family of her medical situation, Jackie immediately knew that she would be the one to donate a kidney. She and Lynn have always been close, and she could think back and hear her mother’s voice saying how they were so much alike. There’s even a strong physical resemblance, and when they were children, their friends would often mistake one for the other.

As it turned out, Jackie was right. She and Lynn were tested and found to be compatible. For Jackie, it was an easy decision…there was no question that she would give a kidney to her older sister. Before making the decision, Jackie sat down with Dr. Radi Zaki, the transplant surgeon, and he answered all of her questions and reassured her that the results would be good for both sisters. She also discussed it with her husband and daughters, and they both supported her decision to donate a kidney to Lynn.

The decision was especially easy for Jackie, since she and Lynn had suffered the loss of their mother in 2003. Jackie’s stepson also passed away in the same year. Jackie wasn’t going to take any chances on losing her dear sister. So four months after Lynn was placed on dialysis, she underwent a kidney transplant at Albert Einstein Medical Center with a kidney donated from Jackie. The transplant, which took place in August 2003, went smoothly, and was a success for both sisters.

Lynn says that the transplant team supported and helped her and Jackie through each step of the process. And, according to Lynn, this includes “her many, many office visits and midnight emergency calls.” As Lynn says, “At Einstein, I always found a listening ear and a warm hand.”

Back to Top

Lynn’s Medical Condition
Lynn is no stranger to chronic medical conditions. She was diagnosed with lupus in 1998, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to make antibodies directed against its own tissue and organs. Fifty percent of people with lupus will experience kidney problems, and Lynn was part of this group. She was not aware that she had any kidney problems. However, she did have severe joint pain and stiffness in her knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows, and sometimes her hips, fingers and wrists. Sometimes, the pain in her fingers was so severe that she couldn’t even hold a fork to eat a meal.

Lynn had a complete medical work-up that resulted in a diagnosis of lupus as well as hypertension and kidney failure. The hypertension was brought on by the kidney failure. (Typically, it’s hypertension that causes kidney failure). As Lynn looks back, she realizes that she had symptoms of hypertension for a long time. She suffered with headaches, dizziness and light-headedness. These problems were were due to her failing kidneys but she didn’t associate them with hypertension.

Here’s how Lynn describes the medical crisis that eventually led to her transplant:

“Hypertension was the furthest thing from my mind, since I didn’t think I was at high risk for developing it (Although my father developed hypertension around the age of 55 or 60). For many months the doctors and I worked at getting my blood pressure under control. We tried different medications and different dosages. Nothing worked. Then, the most severe and scariest episode happened in 2002 when I woke up one morning and began getting ready for work. As I got dressed, I noticed a dense gray mass on the right side of my visual field. The gray mass just wouldn’t go away. Since I had no other symptoms and felt fine otherwise, I continued preparing for the day, thinking it would go away. By the time I got to work it was still there, but had worsened to the point of my seeing a kaleidoscope of colors fading in and out. It was extremely frightening. Finally, it hit me that maybe my blood pressure was up.

I immediately called my doctor at Einstein Medical Center and my doctor told me to drop everything and hurry to the nearest emergency room. He said that I should not go alone, to make sure I had someone with me. My doctor said to have the emergency room call him…he’d be waiting for the call. Needless to say, my blood pressure was through the roof….No, it was off the charts. It’s a miracle I didn’t have a stroke. I was in Einstein’s emergency room for eight hours – that’s how long it took to get my pressure under control.”

This medical crisis confirmed that Lynn’s kidneys were failing and she started on dialysis three times a week for three hours each treatment. She continued on this regimen for four months before undergoing a kidney transplant.

Back to Top

What the Transplant Means to Lynn
More and more, gifts of life are coming from the living …thanks to the generosity of people who are donating to a family member, friend, or even a complete stranger.

“Jackie and I have always been loving sisters to each other. Since the transplant, we are closer than ever. I just keep thinking of the gift of love and life she gave me. To think that someone could do such a selfless thing fills my heart with joy, adoration and love for her. And for people to say…that’s your sister so she had to help you, well, I don’t agree…she didn’t have to help me. Not everyone would have done what she did. Jackie donated a kidney out of love from her heart.

Since the transplant, we do more things together, call each other more often and ask each other for advice more than we ever did. I try to do as much as I can for Jackie, not out of guilt, but out of a deep love. When you truly love someone you show it. Actions really do speak louder than words. My sister proved this to me so I want to do the same for her whenever I can.

I could not have hoped or prayed for a better outcome. Every day is bright and full of new possibilities. I have my life back and a brand new one at that. I haven’t felt this good in years. I remember telling my doctor that I didn’t know how bad I felt until I started to feel better. I’ve gotten used to the amount of medication I have to take, but even that has now become a piece of cake. My regular check-ups continue to show that I’m doing extremely well. Words don’t do it. Gifts don’t do it. I cannot express how deeply and how grateful I am. Just to have someone that will give you a part of themself instead of taking it with them to the grave.

I thank God for His saving care, the prayers of (so, so, so) many, for the skill, talent and knowledge of the doctors and medical staff, and the tender selfless love of a sister. Without any one of these ingredients, I would not be here. And, I am grateful to those who have told and those who have listened to my story. Thank you all.”

Back to Top

Jackie's Thoughts
Jackie sums things up by saying that Webster’s Dictionary defines a sister as a female related to one another by having the same parents. But Jackie uses Webster’s definition of “support” to define sister. Support – To hold up or bare, to sustain or withstand, to uphold and aid, to provide with the means of sustaining life. To Jackie, this is the true definition of a sister.

Back to Top