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REIDSVILLE — Little did Greg Russell know when Tim Craven walked into his office just before Christmas of 2009 that Craven was about to give him the best Christmas present ever.

Craven, a longtime co-worker at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, wanted to be tested as a kidney donor for Russell.

While a senior at N.C. State, Russell was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and told he would eventually need a kidney transplant.

Over the years, he had regular checkups and knew the numerous cysts in his kidneys were depleting them.

In January 2008, it was time for Russell to get on the transplant list. His kidneys were functioning at less than 30 percent.

That fall, Russell, now 45, was urged to look for his own donor.

His wife, Laurie, was approved as a donor, but doctors advised against it. If Russell faces another transplant later, it would be good to have Laurie “in the bank,” they said.

When Craven entered Russell’s office and shut the door, “I thought maybe he was worried about Laurie,” Russell said. “She was very stressed.”

But Craven, 49, said he wanted to be tested to be a donor.

Craven was tested and, within a week, verified as a good match.

Both men entered the hospital on March 8, 2010.

The next morning, Craven went into surgery about 45 minutes before Russell.

“Within about an hour, they had his kidney out, making only a small incision,” said Russell, who was in the operating room next to him. Laurie and Russell’s parents, Don and Hazel Russell of Witty Road, and Craven’s wife, Wendy, waited with family members and friends.

Craven, who didn’t want “any attention,” said he was happy to be the donor.

“Greg needed it, and I could do it,” he said.

He returned to work in three weeks. “I don’t think a lot of people understand just how easy it is to give a kidney,” Craven said.

In the Southeast, kidney donations from a living donor are lower than in other parts of the area, he noted.

“It’s not like giving a pint of blood, but there’s no reason for a healthy person not to be able to do it,” Craven said.

Recovery for Russell took longer.

After a month, he felt good but was restricted in activities. Russell returned to work half-time in May and full-time a month later.

Polycystic kidney disease is hereditary. Russell’s father, Don, developed the disease in 1974. Don, 68, has been dialysis for about 12 years.

Russell’s illness didn’t show up until he had an ultrasound for constant back pain at N.C. State. He was 21 at the time.

Russell maintained his lifestyle. He had played football and baseball at Rockingham County High School before graduating in 1984.

The diagnosis did not slow him down. He graduated from N.C. State in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in statistics, then entered UNC’s School of Public Health, earning a master’s degree in biostatistics.

Throughout his schooling, Russell had no problems  — “just occasional bouts of discomfort.”

In 1990, Russell accepted a position at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

He also enrolled in a basketball refereeing class where he met his wife, Laurie Ply, a UNC graduate. She was program director at Kernersville Family YMCA. Both became referees for high school basketball.

Their first child, Alexa, was born in 2001, and Laurie then gave up her refereeing career. Four years later, Aaralyn joined the family shortly after Laurie became project manager at Wake.

Russell’s kidney problem slowly worsened.

“I was very fortunate,” he said. “I never went on dialysis.”

The average wait for a kidney is three years. But because he was young and healthy, doctors predicted it would be closer to a five-year wait before a match was found.

Laurie was concerned as Russell’s energy levels dwindled. Although he kept working full time and refereeing part time, plus playing basketball and keeping up with the children, Russell often was tired. And, he said, he had much less patience.

“I just had a shorter fuse,” he said. “I became irritated more quickly over things that normally wouldn’t phase me.”

More than a year after his surgery, Russell is living life as he did before his diagnosis. He takes 24 pills a day to prevent rejection of the new organ — something he will do for the rest of his life.

“If I hadn’t done this, I would be on disability, and I can’t imagine being on disability at my age,” Russell said.

”What Tim did was not only for me and Laurie but for our daughters,” he said. “It returned me back to the way I should be. I could go and do things they wanted to do.  

“Tim’s gift of his kidney has allowed me more years of being productive at my job and enjoying time with my family.”

Reidsville native Ann Fish has lived in Eden since 1979. Contact her at annsomersfish@yahoo.com