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Neighbor: Kidney recipient 'deserves a normal life'

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http://sanfordherald.com/bookmark/14426548-Neighbor-Kidney-recipient-deserves-a-normal-life-

Neighbor: Kidney recipient 'deserves a normal life'
by Jennifer Gentile

The thought of parting with a kidney didn't phase Megan Harris; after all, she insists, she doesn't need both of them.

Harris, a Sanford resident and mom of two, decided to become a donor within days of meeting 19-year-old Shantesa Jones. The teenager, who lives in Goldston with her grandmother, was born with one unformed kidney and another that would eventually fail.

Jones frequently visits her aunt, Monique Martin, in Sanford — just a few doors down from Harris on Golden Horseshoe Lane. Where others might have stopped with sympathy, Harris was serious about helping her neighbor's niece.

“It wasn't fair for me as a healthy, young adult to sit back and do nothing,” Harris said. “She deserves to live a normal life.”

Martin had already done all she could herself — donating one of her own kidneys in 1999. The organ functioned for 11 years before it, too, gave out, and Jones went back on dialysis last year.

Regardless of what she was going through, “She always has a smile on her face,” Martin said. “She's never complained; she's always been an inspiration to me.”

Spending most of her life in and out of the hospital, Jones said, “I just take it one day at a time.” She is a veteran of grueling dialysis regimens and a pro at answering uncomfortable questions.

“One girl actually came up to me and said, 'I heard you were dying,'” she recalled with a dismissive smile. “[I said] no, no, it's not that serious; I'm just sick at the moment.”

But to her aunt, who is a volunteer with Carolina Donor Services, the prospect was all too real — and the only hope was another donor.

“I was scared that I was going to lose my niece,” Martin said. “I was terrified, trying to figure out some way ... .”

The answer to her prayers was closer than she could have imagined, as Harris felt an instant, unmistakable bond with Jones when they met eight months ago. Something about the girl stood out, and Harris soon began researching the transplant process to learn all that was involved.

Backed by her family's support, she underwent testing and learned she was a compatible donor.

“I didn't think twice,” Harris said. In fact, “I'm kind of blown away there aren't more people willing to do this.” Throughout the process, she said, “I was calm; I knew how this thing would turn out.”

The transplant took place on June 14, and the prognosis is promising. For the next six months, Jones will wear a mask to protect herself from infection, and she takes numerous medications each day to combat rejection.

Harris said she must be careful about lifting things for a while, but otherwise, she has no real restrictions. The procedure seems like a “huge deal” to outsiders, she explained, but many fears are unfounded and stem from misinformation.

“The words 'living donor' freak people out,” Harris said. “People need to be educated on what it's really like.”

Jones has a lot of life ahead of her, Harris continued, “but at the rate she was going, she was never going to college. ... I couldn't just sit back and watch what she was going through.” Thanks to her intervention, the teenager has much to look forward to — including a potential career as a veterinary technician.

“I has meant the world to me that someone I just met would take time out of her life to do this for me,” Jones said. “That means more than I can express.” Despite overwhelming obstacles, she recently graduated from Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City and is considering starting classes at Central Carolina Community College.

The teenager's family now considers Harris one of their own, and their church welcomed her into the fold during an emotional prayer service last week. To Jones' aunt, Harris is nothing short of a guardian angel.

“It means a lot that a total stranger would step up and help my niece out,” Martin said. “I never thought I'd meet someone who loves my niece as much as I do, but she's close.”

Harris is convinced that her path crossed Jones' for a reason. Whether their bond can be attributed to chance or fate, the teenager is grateful for it all the same.

“I'm glad she did this,” Jones said, “because I get a new lease on life.”

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