Guadalupe Regional Medical Center | Health Currents | Spring 2019

2  | GRMC Health Currents  GRMC’s LIFE Care Department is available at no cost to help you understand, reflect on and plan for a possible future time when you are not able to make your own medical decisions. Formally documenting your preferences for care and treatment is important and helpful to your family. Simply call 830.401.7474 to set up an appointment or to have a speaker come to your church, work site or community organization. aunts and uncles. Despite his best efforts to control the condition, his situation deteriorated until it was clear that his only hope for survival was a kidney transplant. His wife and several friends all offered to donate a kidney, but one by one, each was rejected for medical or other reasons. In October—just as the Sanduskys were recognizing they were quickly running out of time—Ashlee shared her fears with one of her co- workers, Jessica Vincent. Jessica has worked at GRMC since 2007, becoming proficient in a variety of positions over the years. As the daughter of a registered nurse and as both a full- time employee in the GRMC Surgery Department and a cardiopulmonary therapy student, Jessica is at home in the healthcare environment. Her compassion for others is strong, with a commitment to helping others ingrained in her character. Upon hearing about the need for a kidney donation to save Dane’s life, she recalls hearing God’s voice encouraging her—saying, “At least try .” Amazing generosity and compassion After speaking to Ashlee at work that serendipitous evening, Jessica pulled up the online application for a living donor on the Methodist website. She then went through an in-depth screening and a full-day interview with the transplant team. Her rare O-positive blood type and good health indicated that she would be an excellent candidate. The week before Thanksgiving, Jessica saw a missed message on her cellphone from the Transplant Center. She and Ashlee returned the call, and together they heard the news— Jessica was cleared for surgery. Dane would receive a new kidney and a new chance at life. A week before the surgery, Dane and Ashlee met with Jessica and her husband, Tim, at a local restaurant for the first time. Dane expressed his eternal gratitude, knowing that words could never convey his appreciation and awe at Jessica’s precious gift. The four met again on the day of the surgery at Methodist (considered No. 1 in the nation for kidney transplants, with a success rate of 92 percent). When asked why she would make such an amazing leap to help a stranger, Jessica responds, “Because I would hope someone else would do the same for me if my family member was in need.” She hopes this story encourages others to consider organ donation, pointing out that there are currently 150,000 Americans on a waiting list for a new kidney. An excellent recovery Less than a month post-surgery, Jessica was already feeling great. Aside from the first day after surgery, she has had zero issues and negligible pain. Her husband and 9-year-old son were great company for her at home as she recovered. Her generous co- workers donated paid time-off hours to ensure that Jessica did not miss a paycheck during this short recovery phase, and she is already back at work full-time. Other than one post-op scare involving a fever and a reaction to antibiotics, Dane has also had an excellent recovery. His lab work improved immediately after he received the new kidney, and he feels increasingly healthy and energetic again. As a self-employed air conditioning and heater repairman at Keystone A/C & Heating, he, too, is returning to work. Dane and Ashlee are dreaming of a motorcycle camping trip and of all-day excursions with the grandkids—none of which would have been possible in recent years as Dane’s disease sapped his stamina and strength. The multi-year process from diagnosis to disease management to organ donation has been an emotional and exhausting roller coaster for the Sandusky family— ranging from anger to sadness to joy. Now, Ashlee, Dane and Jessica are eager to share their amazing story and encourage all people to consider the most precious of gifts—an organ donation to help others live. A miraculous gift —Continued from front page MAKE YOUR WISHES KNOWN