Casual friends bond after kidney donation

     By Chris Jones
     View staff writer
      As the director of the kidney transplant program at Sunrise Hospital, Dr. Scott Slavis knows firsthand how transplants can save or better the lives of those in need of a new organ.
      Unfortunately, Slavis also knows how difficult it can be to find a willing donor.
      In addition to the qualms normally associated with surgery, challenges like the overall health of a donor as well as blood and tissue compatibility, must be taken into consideration before a transplant can be performed.
      Although necessary, those qualifications can limit the transplants that are be performed. Only 30 to 35 procedures take place at Sunrise annually.
      "We want to be able to take care of the need, but there are a lot of people waiting," Slavis said. "The continual problem is there are not enough kidneys; right now we have over 90 people in the area who are waiting for transplants."
      Although many continue to wait, donations sometimes come from unexpected sources. And that's what makes the story involving John Wade and Kimberly Fausett so unique.
      Fausett, a 43-year-old mother of two from La Verkin, Utah, had suffered from kidney complications for more than a year before beginning dialysis treatment in January 1998.
      In June of the same year, Fausett met Wade, a 33-year-old animal control officer from the Hurricane, Utah Police Department, through a mutual friend. The two struck up a casual friendship -- casual, that is, until one day Wade dropped a bombshell on Fausett.
      "He was aware of my problem and out of the blue he just said, `I'll give you one of my kidneys,' " Fausett said. "I kind of thought he was just being nice, but he kept at it. It took a long time for me to let it happen because it's such a serious thing for him to do."
      Said Wade: "She was always drugged out and could never do much. I said, `I feel like I'm healthy and you're not, so if I can make you better I'll give you my kidney.' "
      Live organ donations are usually shared by family members, such as brother and sister or parent and child. Slavis said Wade and Fausett's situation was one of the most unique he has experienced in his 10 years at the hospital.
      "Usually when someone gives a kidney to someone else, they're related," Slavis said. "This one was very unusual because he just wanted to give her a kidney. She's been married for 25 years and he's engaged, so it was nothing more than him wanting to help her feel better."
      Once Fausett decided to let Wade make the donation, Wade had to undergo a series of tests to make sure he was in proper health. The usual tissue and blood tests were also performed, and much to everyone's surprise, the two friends' organs were found to be compatible.
      On Jan. 12, Slavis performed the procedures, which had both the donor and recipient on the operating table for more than two hours.
      Nearly two months later, Wade and Fausett are doing well.
      "Recovery has been a lot easier than I expected," Fausett said. "I didn't realize I felt so bad (with kidney problems) until after I received the transplant. It's like I have my life back."
      Slavis agreed that the change has been significant.
      "She was on dialysis," Slavis said. "Every other day she had to get hooked up to a machine to get her blood cleaned of all its poisons. That's really a very difficult kind of life to have, and this enabled her to get off the machine and get more of a normal life."
      Wade said the only changes he's felt have been emotional.
      "I don't even realize my kidney is gone," Wade said. "I'm still a bit sore, but my body hasn't changed and hers has changed dramatically. She's functioning a lot better; you can see the pain and stress have gone out of her face.
      "If I could do it all over again, I would. It's been worth it just to see her recover. I know we'll be friends for the rest of our lives now."
      Fausett said she still has a hard time believing what took place.
      "In the middle of the night, I still wake up and can't believe it's done," Fausett said. "We live in a world where people really don't care about others and then John comes along and does something like this. I don't know how I became so fortunate."