Daughter to Mother: Gift of
Life
By:Alexandra
Hackett
Riverview, Florida - When
Patty Grabowski talks about
her daughter, she lights up
like a Christmas tree. Not
only are the two best
friends, who share DNA and
the same first name…
Patty Grabowski, Kidney
Transplant Recipient:
"If it wasn't for her,
I'd not be alive or I'd have
no life. I'd be on
dialysis."
Doctors aren't sure what
caused Patty's kidneys to
fail, possibly high blood
pressure. But one thing was
clear: if she didn't find a
donor, her life wouldn't be
the same.
Patty Hughes, Donated
Kidney to Mother:
"I didn't know anything
about kidney disease. I
didn't know what a kidney
did. As she got sicker,
that's when the worry came
in."
When the younger Patty found
out she was a match, she
didn't think twice.
Hughes:
"I think she grabbed me
and started crying. She told
me I didn't have to. It was
up to me."
Within weeks, mother and
daughter were in Tampa
General Hospital for the
kidney transplant.
Grabowski:
"I opened up my eyes
when I got in my room and
there she was waiting for me
and all I was worried about
was her."
That was last December. A
year later...
Grabowski:
"My life is wonderful
now. I had no energy. I had
no gumption. I didn't want
to do anything."
Hughes:
"People think I am
humble about it. But it's my
mother and I want her to
have the best life she can
have."
And that means sharing a
good laugh, as well as a
kidney.
Grabowski:
"They put in a new knee
November 11th and you know
what she says to me - 'Hey
Mom, cut it out I'm running
out of spare parts!'"
The kidney transplant was
also made possible with help
from the Lifelink Health
Care Institute.
Since 1973, the Lifelink
transplant team has
performed 3000 kidney
transplants.
Alexandra Hackett, Tampa
Bay's 10 News
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