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Articles
Sisters who share a love of the Museum also now share a kidney. Brenda Dyson, vice-president of the Museum's board, recently underwent a kidney transplant at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital (UAB). The kidney was a gift from her sister, Lisa Brown, who is a volunteer at the Museum.
In 1987, Brenda went on dialysis that lasted three years. Her "helpers" were her sisters, Lisa Brown and Linda Richards. After watching Brenda stuggle through the process, the sisters decided to be tested to see if they were candidates to give Brenda a kidney. Both were compatible, but Linda proved the better donor. The sisters often teased each other about Lisa carrying a spare. The original transplant went beautifully and the new kidney lasted eleven years.
Last summer, the disease that caused the native kidneys to fail, resurfaced and caused the new kidney to do the same. Brenda returned to dialysis on a new machine, a daily hemofiltration machine, for five months. The current president of the American Association of Kidney Patients no doubt has a pioneer spirit because she was the first patient in the country to use this machine.
Lisa was retested and the new surgery was planned. Even though Brenda's first transplant was performed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Brenda and Lisa chose to have the second procedure done at UAB. Lisa's kidney was laproscopically retrieved, a procedure which is not yet offered at UMC. The surgery was performed on Friday, July 26, and Lisa returned to Jackson two days later.
"I encourage any compatible donors to consider organ donation especially with the laproscopic surgery," said Lisa."It truly helps loved ones lead a normal life," she said. "We had lots of support, calls and prayers from family, friends, museum acquaintances and our church."
"I feel wonderful," said Brenda, "and I am grateful that Lisa is recovering also." The sisters are doing exceptionally well and Brenda is now out of the hospital and in a step down townhouse unit. She is determined to make it back to Jackson by Friday, August 9, 2002 because she has a meeting scheduled for the following Monday.
Because Brenda Dyson had a loving sister and a willing donor,there is no doubt she will make that meeting.
© Copyright 2001-2002 by Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Museum
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