Nucci feeling ‘great’ thanks to new kidney
Former Hub councilor after transplant: ‘It was like a fog had lifted’
John Nucci says he already can feel his new kidney working.
“This great feeling just came over me after the surgery,” the former Boston city councilor said when reached by phone yesterday evening, as he recovered from Tuesday’s transplant surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Nucci, 66, of East Boston, received a kidney from family friend
Kerri Abrams, who volunteered to donate one of hers when she learned from a Herald article that Nucci was suffering from a rare genetic disorder and in dire need of one.
Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital carried out the procedure Tuesday over the course of a few hours, removing one of her kidneys and implanting it into Nucci.
Kidneys filter toxins out of the blood and produce urine. Nucci said the slow decline caused by his genetic polycystic kidney disease had left him chronically exhausted. Though he’s in some pain after the major surgery, Nucci said the strong new organ has swept all that away.
“It was like a fog had lifted,” Nucci said. “I forgot what it was like.”
Nucci said he’s hoping to be discharged sometime around this weekend.
Doctors 30 years ago diagnosed Nucci with the disease, which causes non-cancerous cysts to grow on a person’s kidneys until the organs ultimately fail. Nucci’s kidneys before the surgery were operating at 2 percent. Nucci inherited the condition from his father, who died from the illness at 64, and his three sons have all tested positive for the disease.
Abrams, 37, of Arlington, wrote in a text message that she’s doing well, too.
“We are both resting surrounded by our amazing family,” Abrams wrote. “‘Family’ in a singular sense because we are all family now.”
Both Nucci and Abrams say they plan on advocating for people to donate kidneys, which are the only full organ living people can donate to others. Across the country, more than 83,000 people are waiting for kidneys. That includes more than 2,800 Massachusetts residents.
“We need potential donors to see how great this is for people,” Nucci said of the new lease on life a donated kidney provides.
Nucci and Abrams praised the staff at MGH for their work.
“They really can work miracles here,” Nucci said.