Mahanoy Township supervisor recovers after double transplant
BY LESLIE RICHARDSON (STAFF WRITERLRICHARDSON@REPUBLICANHERALD.COM)
Published: June 5, 2011
NEW BOSTON - After a double organ transplant involving three members of the family, the Bradburys have learned to appreciate the little things in life.
Mahanoy Township Supervisor Tim Bradbury, 60, continues to recuperate at Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital after a rare simultaneous dual-living organ transplant performed at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on March 15.
His wife of 22 years, Mary Ellen, 55, who donated a kidney, and son James, 19, who donated part of his liver, are also healing from doing their part to save their loved one's life.
"It may not appear like it to others who haven't seen him like we have, but he is improving by leaps and bounds," James said. "In the last three weeks, he's been doing so much better."
Mary Ellen said her husband was born with a deficiency in his liver and his parents did not think surgery was an option.
"They took him and had him Pow-Wowed," Mary Ellen said Thursday.
Pow-Wow is a combination of Pennsylvania Dutch and Native American healing traditions.
"He lived for almost 60 years on olive oil and prayers," Mary Ellen said.
She said in 2009, Tim began to feel ill and his stomach began to swell. He was diagnosed with non-alcohol cirrhosis of the liver.
After seeing local doctors, he was referred to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and he was told he needed a liver transplant.
Tim's risk of death on the waiting list for a standard donor was very high.
The Bradburys' eldest son, Brian Jones, 31, searched the internet and discovered a transplant could be done with a living donor, that Bradbury might not have to wait for a cadaver.
"He was the first one tested but he was unable to donate," Mary Ellen said. "While they were doing blood work on Tim, the doctors determined his kidneys were failing and he would also need a kidney in order to survive."
Tim became the first person at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center to receive the simultaneous dual living organ transplant.
According to hospital information, simultaneous transplants of multiple organs from multiple living donors to a single recipient are exceedingly rare in the U.S. The procedure has been performed with a liver and kidney coming from different living donors just 10 other times since 1987.
Mary Ellen was tested to be a kidney or liver donor and it was determined her kidney was a match for her husband. Bradbury's younger sons, Timmy, 22, and James were tested for liver donation and James was a match.
Mary Ellen said Dr. Zakiyah Kadry, chief of transplant surgery and surgical director of liver transplantation, performed the transplant and Dr. Ian Schreibman, gastroenterologist, was the liver specialist during the procedure.
"We each had our own transplant team to help us through it," Mary Ellen said. "The greatest day of my life was when my team told me we were all good to go. Dr. Kandry's guidelines for transplant are even tougher than the federal government's. She won't do anything to put the patient or donors at risk."
The surgery took more than 19 hours and 30 transplant team members, with James going into surgery first followed by Tim and then Mary Ellen.
"Everything went well and as soon as they were hooked up the organs worked immediately. It was amazing," Mary Ellen said. "Everything that was supposed to happen, happened."
Bradbury and James are healing from their surgeries.
"I'm doing well. I just get a little tired sometimes," Mary Ellen said.
James had a little tougher recovery.
"I took a month to regenerate the liver and three weeks until I was comfortable standing and walking," James said. "But aside from a huge scar, I'm fine."
The transplant was performed while James was on spring break from classes at Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville.
"My professors and instructors were more than lenient. I have until September to make up some of the work in one class and the rest of the classes I came out with As and Bs," he said.
Unfortunately on March 16, the day after the surgery, Tim suffered a stroke that affected his right side. He has also battled gout, brought on from the anti-rejection drugs and his blood sugar has been elevated.
Tim was moved to the rehabilitation facility where he is working with therapist to gain back his motor skills.
"It's going to be a long process but the doctors are expecting him to make a full recovery," Mary Ellen said. "He's coming around and starting to stand and walk again. So many things that we all take for granted, like feeding yourself or standing, he has to learn to do all over again."
Mary Ellen said the therapists have really turned Tim around and the medical professionals said as his organs begin to function as they should, his family will see a difference.
"And we really have," Mary Ellen said. "He is now looking ahead where before he was disgusted."
Mary Ellen said Tim was able to attend Brian's wedding in May via Skype, which allows video to be transferred over the internet.
"He was supposed to be the best man and even though he couldn't stand there with him, he was there. He could be a part of it and people got a chance to see him, which was nice," she said.
Mary Ellen said the outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, co-workers and even local people that she doesn't even know has been a tremendous help in the family's healing process.
"The outpouring of support from this community has been amazing. People will never understand what it meant to us," Mary Ellen said. "The township supervisors and the Good American Fire Company held a spaghetti fund raiser for us, which was amazing. People I worked with 30 years ago sent cards. It was wonderful to feel the support. At some point he must have done something for people that they are showing support for him. But that is just what people do in the coal region. We are very fortunate that this is where we live."
Mary Ellen said Tim plans to return to the supervisors' meetings as soon as he is able.
"We are hoping for the June or July meeting," she said. "He will be in a wheelchair, but he'll be there. He misses it."
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