‘I WAS ON DEATH’S BED’
30 years after receiving a life-saving kidney transplant, Surrey woman wants to meet the donor’s family and ‘give them a hug’
Sarah Vant Geloof desperately wants to meet the surviving family members of a person whose life-saving kidney was donated to her 30 years ago.
The 48-year-old Surrey resident, who has been married for 27 years and has one son, was attached to a dialysis machine Dec. 7, 1986, when she got word a donor had been found.
The next day, Vant Geloof — who suffered kidney failure at age 14 after a bout of strep throat — had transplant surgery. She thinks the kidney she received may have been from a young man who died in a motorcycle accident.
“I received the kidney early in the morning Dec. 8, (but) they didn’t give out the information on donors when you have a cadaver transplant,” Vant Geloof said. “So, I’ve always thought that it would be nice to meet the people who had to make that decision.
“Not very many transplant patients have done as well as I have, which is why this is a fairly big deal to be 30 years post transplant. I am hoping if nothing else this family may read (this) article and see how well their loved one has made an incredible difference to my life.”
Vant Geloof, who received her transplant at B.C. Children’s Hospital Dec. 8, 1986, just one month before turning 19, said the kidney made a massive difference in her life.
“I was in Grade 8 (when I had kidney failure) and within 2½ years, I was on dialysis. I also had high blood pressure at age 15 because of kidney failure. On dialysis, the quality of life is not that great.
“I went in three days a week (for dialysis) and without dialysis, kidney failure will kill you.”
Vant Geloof, one of 15 children, lived in Langley at the time of her transplant.
“I’d love to meet the family and I would hope that they had closure. There would also be other people who received organs from this family.
“To know that it had such an impact because of the decision they’d made on my quality of life would be tremendous. I was on death’s bed. And to go from death’s bed to doing an eight-hour hike six months later is life changing. It’s almost unfathomable.
“I’d want to give them a hug and I’d probably cry when I saw them. I’d just really like to let them know how impressed I am that they made a wonderful choice at a time of sorrow.”
Vant Geloof would also like to see many more people registering as organ donors.
“I have a sister who received one kidney from a live donor, my brother. That was rejected and then she received another kidney from a live donor, her sister. That’s turned out amazing. And the ones who donated had almost no change in their quality of life.”
She said that while she doesn’t work anymore, her anti-rejection pills are starting to take a toll by leaving her fatigued.
“I’m a hiker and swimmer. I can’t do as much as I did, but I still water ski,” Vant Geloof said.
According to B.C. Transplant, there have been 363 transplants — 144 of them kidney transplants — in 2016, with 630 people on the wait list, including 509 for kidneys. More than 4,300 patients are being monitored and followed in B.C. post transplant.
Across Canada, there are more than 4,000 people waiting for a life-saving transplant.