Woman's latest chance at kidney transplant shot down

[Karol]

Woman's latest chance at kidney transplant shot down
Cousin doesn't qualify as donor

By Carol Wersich
Posted September 19, 2012 at 8:40 a.m., updated September 19, 2012 at 8:40 a.m.

Lisa Keck, the 49-year-old Darmstadt, Ind., woman needing a kidney transplant, thought it would be a done deal with her cousin, Becky Reeser, a schoolteacher in the Phoenix, Ariz., area, as a potential donor candidate.

"Becky had been passing a number of tests to determine whether she qualified as a donor, including blood testing, a colonostomy and an EKG.

" I just had it in my mind I'd have a kidney," said Keck, a victim of diabetes as well as kidney failure.

Then, over this past weekend, Reeser of Gilbert, Ariz., informed Keck by phone that she was disqualified for not passing a bladder test.

Keck said she was devastated in May when she learned another potential donor, Lavon Keitel of Mount Vernon, Ind., was disqualified. But, she said, learning that Reeser also was disqualified was even harder to swallow.

"I kind of felt like Becky was my last hope," Keck said.

She is trying to keep her faith strong. "But, honestly, when you hear news like that, it's hard … I didn't tell Becky that. I didn't want to hurt her feelings."

Keck said she is very thankful that people have tried to be donors.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful, because I am very grateful."

Though her spirits have been deflated, she said it would be amazing again if a potential candidate stepped forward.

"I can only imagine how difficult it would be to make that decision. It would be so wonderful: a gift I couldn't repay.

"It's God's time, not my time. But, I sure wish he'd speed up the process."

Lisa Keck's husband, Kerry, 51, also has diabetes and kidney failure and receives frequent dialysis.

Lisa Keck said she finds coping is becoming much harder.

"(Kidney failure) is not an easy disease. It's physically tough and mentally challenging day in and day out," she said.

"You try not to get your hopes up when someone offers you a kidney, but you have to have hope. If you don't have hope and faith, you have nothing ... I suppose I just need to go through a range of emotions."

Lisa Keck said both she and her husband have lots of support from their family, including their daughter, Jessie, 16, and son Easton, 20, and from their church (Darmstadt Lutheran) and the community.

Potential kidney donors who would like to learn whether they would qualify may call the Indiana University Health Transplant Center at 800-382-4602.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/sep/19/chance-at-kidney-transplant-shot-down/