Kidney Donor Speaks
Out
by Sybil Maimin
“It was the right
thing to do. People have to help each other, and it was a way
to improve someone's life.” With these simple words,
David Koster explains why he donated his kidney to a stranger.
In 2002, Koster read a newspaper ad for a kidney and realized
there was a need that he, a healthy man in his fifties, could
respond to. He answered the ad and learned that he did not
have the right blood type. Determined to help someone, he responded
to two more ads and on the third try, learned that his blood
was compatible with that of a man in San Francisco whose Long
Island son had placed a notice for the organ in a New York
paper. Koster's four grown sons were okay with his plan although
some friends thought he was crazy; he won them over. The prospective
recipient, whom he met before the operation, told him, “You
can't imagine how I look at you.” A possible hurdle was
the Ethics Committee at Westchester Medical Center, where the
surgery was performed. They interrogated him to determine his
motives and ensure that no money was being exchanged (It was
not). The committee approved his plan and in a 3-hour laparoscopic
procedure, surgeon Dr. Michael Edey removed his kidney, which
was then implanted in the needy recipient. Koster's recovery
was quick and uneventful. He suffered little pain and was back
at work after a week and a half.
David
Koster describes the experience as “fantastic.” “It has given
me a new lease on life, and the only problem is I don't have
50 kidneys.” He advises, “If people knew what is
going on in my mind, they would all rush to do this.” An
average of 2 kidney transplants a week (between relatives)
is performed at Westchester Medical, but he was the first person
to donate the organ to a stranger. He is very enthusiastic
about this opportunity to give life-saving help to a fellow
human being and encourages others to do what he did. He still
answers ads from people looking for kidneys to give them encouragement
and to speak from experience to those who are considering becoming
donors. He has spoken at seminars on the subject at Westchester
Medical Center where he points out, “the benefits far
outweigh the risks.” His rewards have been unexpected
and manifold. “I had no idea what I was getting into
when I started this,” he explains. “Before the
operation, I had one sister. Now I have two additional brothers
and a sister (the recipient's children).” He attended
a social function with the recipient's family where “I
was a celebrity,” he says incredulously. And best of
all, the new kidney (his old one) “is functioning well.”#
David
Koster is “eager
to talk to anyone” needing a kidney or considering
becoming a donor. He can be reached by phone at 718-854-7789;
or e-mail, dhk613@aol.com.