| Donor #1 was Honore "Honey" Rothstein, 48 of West Virginia. Honey (pictured right) had lost her first husband and her daughter early in life. Both had signed up to be organ donors, but her daughter was not able to donate. Honey said that she had felt great peace of mind when she received letters from transplant recipients who had lived on through the gift of organ donation from her husband. She wanted to donate a kidney as a way to honor her daughter, who had been unable to do so. |  |
| "I’m thankful. [Kristine, my recipient] has a piece of me and a piece of my daughter to live on," she said when she met Kristine Jantzi, the recipient of her kidney, pictured above. Honey’s daughter whom she honored through her altruistic donation is pictured in the photo on the table. |
Because the Hopkins team is sensitive about protecting patients’ privacy, donors and recipients were asked if they wanted to meet. All replied they would and a meeting was set up about one week after the surgery day.
At the first meeting of the swap patients, Kristine was asked how she felt initially when she heard about the potential of the kidney swap. Kristine replied, "My reaction was wonderful, but don’t get too excited yet. Even after the transplant I tried to hold back from hoping too, too much. But this morning that changed because I met Honey whose daughter [and] whose story made this all possible."
 | Donor #2 was Florence Jantzi, 65 of Ontario, Canada. She wanted to donate to her adopted daughter, Kristine, but they were not a compatible match. During their meeting, Florence and Honey exchanged sentiments about their similar need to help their daughters. Through the swap, Florence was able to be donate a compatible kidney to George Brooks of Florida. (Pictured in left corner, this page, Florence Jantzi listens proudly to comments from jubilant daughter, Kristine Jantzi.) |
Donor #3 was Sharon Brooks, from Florida who was thrilled at the opportunity. "Not only did I get a kidney for [my husband, George], but I got to give a kidney to somebody else. So, it’s just a great, great, wonderful thing." Sharon donated to Gary Persell, 61 of California.
Donor #4 was Leslie Persell who was not a match for her husband, but who was a match with Gerald Loevner, 76 of Florida. Looking back, Leslie spoke with eloquence of the need for more opportunities for living kidney donation.
Donor #5 was Sandra Loevner who wanted to help her husband resume a normal life. "When you watch someone on dialysis and you see they can’t even go for icecream with their grandchild, you realize what a [different path] their life has taken." While not a match with her husband, Gerald, Sandra was able to donate to Sheila Thornton, 63 of Baltimore who had been waiting for years on the national kidney list and who had no living donor.
At their meeting, Sheila spoke of her feeling toward Sandra’s and all donors’ kindness in saying, "How do you thank someone who saved your life?"
| Photo: (seated, left to right) Sheila Thornton, George Brooks, Sandra Loevner,and Leslie Persell (standing, left to right) Dr. Montgomery, Janet Hiller and Katie Stegner. |
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