 Courage,
hope, and perseverance are just a few of the qualities that
Cheryl Rapacon, 29, of Kinnelon, has always valued in life.
And friendship, generosity and altruism are qualities equally
found in Howard Sanders, 41, of Somerset. The pair first
met 17 years ago when Ms. Rapacon’s parents signed
her up for tennis lessons with Mr. Sanders who was an instructor
at the Elite Tennis Academy in West Caldwell. It was, therefore,
a surprise of the nicest kind when Mr. Sanders gave a kidney
to a former student whom he had barely seen in the last 13
years.
In 2002, Ms. Rapacon, who has juvenile (Type I) diabetes,
began to experience symptoms ranging from extreme fatigue
to nausea. Tests would later reveal that she was experiencing
kidney failure. Since the wait for a kidney from a deceased
individual can take as long as five years, the search for
a living kidney donor quickly began. Unfortunately, the most
likely donors — Ms. Rapacon’s parents and siblings — were
not compatible donors.
As Ms. Rapacon’s condition worsened, her fatigue and
nausea rose to heightened levels and she was forced to take
a leave of absence from her job and begin dialysis treatments.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, one of Ms. Rapacon’s
aunts had offered her a kidney and was in the process of
being tested. Unfortunately, the test results would reveal
that she, like many of Ms. Rapacon’s other family members,
was not a positive match.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sanders and his family who had moved out
of state years ago, returned to New Jersey in 2000, and kept
in touch with Ms. Rapacon via emails and sporadic phone calls.
Mr. Sanders offered to be tested. When Ms. Rapacon heard
that Mr. Sanders was willing to donate, she couldn’t
help but feel a bit cautious with her emotions. Although
it was a tremendous gesture of kindness, some people she
knew had offered to be tested but never actually went through
with it.
But Mr. Sanders kept to his word, was tested and in Spring
2003, results revealed that Ms. Rapacon’s former tennis
coach was a perfect match since both his blood type and antigens
were compatible. Ms. Rapacon was overwhelmed. Although Mr.
Sanders had been her mentor when she was young, she never
imagined that he would one day be saving her life. “Howard
has always been a great guy — supportive on and off
the court. But to give me his kidney?” she exclaimed. “Whether
he knows it or not, he has instilled lifelong values in me
such as perseverance and having a positive attitude, hope
and faith. And with those values, the miracle of Howard’s
altruism couldn't have been more perfect — literally.
Now I can enjoy the rest of my life and have the energy to
play tennis again!”
Ms. Rapacon recovered quickly from surgery and was able
to return to the active lifestyle she had so greatly missed.
Although she still takes insulin to treat the diabetes she
has had since age nine and hopes at some point to receive
a pancreas transplant, little has stopped Ms. Rapacon from
striving for her life’s ambitions. As for Mr. Sanders,
his courageous spirit not only saved Ms. Rapacon’s
life but has also shed a new light on both living and altruistic
donations. The two hope that their story will inspire others
to donate.
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