Seven years ago, a heart transplant at NBIMC gave 66-year-old John Simko of Dunellen, N.J., his second chance at life. Just months ago, in November 1999, a living donor kidney transplant, also at NBIMC, provided him another extraordinary opportunity to renew his health.
While Mr. Simko’s heart was donated by the family of a 32-year-old New Jersey man, his new kidney is the result of a living donation by his stepdaughter, Lynn Giacomini, also of Dunellen. Mr. Simko considers these gifts of life true miracles.
“I’ve always been so grateful for the new heart that gave me back my life, and to the family that decided to donate their loved one’s organs to help me, and others. And in a very different way, living donors are so special, too. Maybe it’s the idea of another human being giving a part of themselves. It’s a true self-sacrifice,” says Mr. Simko.
“Organ donation from a living-related donor is highly successful for recipients and safe for the donors,” explains Scott A. Ames, M.D., Director of Transplant Surgery at NBIMC, who performed the procedure. “Kidneys from living donors almost always work in the recipient’s body right away, and they have a higher long-term success rate.”
“We take great care to not only screen the recipient and donor, physically, with the appropriate testing and health exams, but to provide the proper education and counseling so they feel comfortable about their decision,” comments Sadanand Palekar, M.D., Clinical Director of Renal Transplantation at NBIMC.
Mr. Simko was fortunate because he had more than one relative willing to donate a kidney. Initially, Mr. Simko’s wife, Kathleen, was the first family member to step forward. However, tests soon revealed calcium deposits near and around her kidneys, ruling her out as a possible donor. The second candidate was Mr. Simko’s stepdaughter, Lynn Giacomini.
“We were all so disappointed when my mother was unable to donate that I immediately started the testing process. Our feeling was that if I wasn’t accepted, then my husband would be tested and then our daughter. We felt that strongly about it. It all came so naturally and seemed so logical,” she recalls.
Ms. Giacomini, and her family have been big advocates of organ donation, dating back to the days when Mr. Simko needed a heart transplant. “It was through Pop’s experience with the heart that we learned the importance of organ donation. Now, many members of our family are registered organ donors,” she says.
In part, Mr. Simko’s heart transplant contributed to the development of his kidney disease seven years later. According to Mark Zucker, M.D., Director of Cardiothoracic Transplantation at NBIMC, Mr. Simko’s heart surgery was highly successful and recovery ran smoothly. It was only several years later that routine follow-up testing revealed cyclosporine toxicity in the blood that could eventually damage the kidneys and make dialysis necessary.
“It’s not uncommon for patients who are taking anti-rejection drugs for their heart to experience kidney complications,” notes Dr. Zucker. “It’s one of the possible side effects of a transplant. However, today’s new anti-rejection drugs and improved follow-up care have greatly increased the success rate for heart transplants, lessening adverse effects on the kidneys.”
While Mr. Simko remained under Dr. Zucker’s care for the heart, Dr. Palekar was called in to monitor his kidney function and begin medical evaluation for dialysis or a possible renal transplant. “Fortunately, Mr. Simko was in good enough health to undergo surgery, so a kidney transplant was the recommended course of action,” remarks Dr. Palekar.
Within three weeks of the kidney transplant, Mr. Simko was back on his feet, out driving his car, running errands and feeling much better.
“It’s amazing,” he says. “I felt improvement throughout my whole body. And with each week that goes by, I feel stronger.”
As for Ms. Giacomini, she’s back on the job as the owner/operator of a local beauty salon. “It’s great to see Pop on the go again,” she adds. “Donating a kidney is one of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life.And Pop’s well worth it!”
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