Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 17/05) - Stan Anderson isn't the man he used to be. For one, he is missing a kidney. For another, he saved his sister's life.

He recently donated one of his kidneys to his eldest sister Debbie Bruinsma, 49, who lives in Cochrane, Alta.

On the surface, the decision to donate a kidney to save the life of his sister was an easy one for Anderson to make.

Bruinsma suffered kidney failure about 21 months ago.

By the fall of 2004, her life hung by a thread with one kidney dead and the other functioning at five per cent.

She was put on dialysis and a waiting list for a transplant.

When Anderson found out about his sister's peril, he started researching her condition and the results were not encouraging.

According to the Canadian Kidney Foundation, 3,000 Canadians are waiting for a transplant. And 150 of those will die waiting every year.

Anderson was the only sibling out of five to share the same blood type and compatible tissue.

Anderson said once you decide to donate, you drag a lot of other people with you.

"My decision affected my employer, co-workers, wife, children, parents and friends in the community.

"You need the support of everyone around you when you make this decision."

When Anderson phoned to tell Bruinsma he was the only match among the siblings, she was torn.

"As grateful as I was, I still found it hard to accept because it's harder to take than to give in a situation like this.

"It really bothered me for awhile. I was so worried about Stan, but there was no hesitation on his part at all."

Convinced it was her best option, she was more worried about her brother than her own well-being.

"Stan never had an operation in his life that I knew of.

"He fainted at the sight of a needle once when he was really young, so I was concerned for how he would stand up through it all."

Bruce and Judy Anderson said when they got the news their only son had tested positive and decided to go ahead with the transplant, they were quite concerned because they knew the donor almost always has a harder time after the surgery than the recipient.

"It still chokes me up a little bit to think about the pride we felt when Stan said yes to the surgery, even though his decision came as no surprise to us.

"I wished it had been me, but I knew Stan would say yes because he's always been such a giving person."

And, suddenly, they found themselves worried about two of their children.

"At first, Stan being the donor frightened me a lot because he has a young family," said Judy.

"Then I looked at the bright side because Stan was willing and I knew what a help it would be for Debbie.

"Stan's decision took a huge weight off us, but it was tough worrying about them."

Judy said Stan's wife, Jukipa, was a pillar of strength throughout the ordeal.

"She made me feel so wonderful inside when she told me if the situation were reversed, she knew Stan would want her to donate a kidney to her sister.

"It was such a relief to know she had no second thoughts about him doing this."

The odds are now in Bruinsma's favour.

Between 85 and 95 per cent of kidney transplants from living donors are successful.

On average, a kidney from a living donor will last 15 to 20 years.