Versailles man shares joy of double organ transplant
Christmas is the season for miracles
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Knowing that God's timing doesn't always run parallel to what we want, Rusty (James) Reed of Versailles, says, "The timing was so perfect - it was almost like I was in a dream." He was referring to a recent surgery where he received a double organ transplant - a kidney and pancreas.

The 46-year-old father noted that he had been a diabetic since he was seven years old and the disease had taken its toll on his body. "I knew I had kidney disease 15 years ago," he noted and knew the day would come when he would have to probably go on dialysis.

"It was so hard to watch him going downhill," noted his mother, Elsie Lock, who lives next to Rusty and his wife, Connie and daughter Faith, on Tanglewood Road just outside of Versailles.

In the last year, Rusty knew he was "wearing down," and said he just didn't have any energy. "I was still going to work and that was about it," he said. Rusty is employed with Batesville Tool & Die in the quality department.

Since he was a little boy, Mrs. Lock knew her son would have a struggle with medical issues. She remembers the day she was told he had diabetes and what that meant for him. "He gave shots to himself from the beginning," she noted, adding that he's always been a survivor. "If he hadn't taken care of himself, he wouldn't be here," she noted, saying her son had always been diligent about his health. "I taught him how to figure out his diet, and sometimes when he was little he'd want me to give him his shots, just because he needed a little extra attention," she remembered smiling.

The week of Thanksgiving 2004 will be one that the Reeds will remember forever as the day after Thanksgiving, November 26, Rusty got a new lease on life with two new organs - ones that were disease free.

"We had gone to my wife's parents' home in Brookville for Thanksgiving," Rusty began as he recalled the events just before the surgery. The couple was home about four hours when the phone rang at 10:00 p.m. "When they asked for James Reed, I knew it had to be the transplant center because everyone around here calls me Rusty," he laughed.

From the beginning of getting on the transplant list, which had only been two months, the Reeds were told to have their bags packed for when the call might come. They just never anticipated the call would be so soon.

They had two hours to get to the University Hospital in Cincinnati on Thanksgiving night. A flurry of activity began and they were on their way.

The Reeds arrived at the hospital at 11:30 p.m. and were told Rusty had to be ready for surgery by 1:30 a.m. He was ready, but the surgery didn't actually take place until 7:00 a.m. Friday, November 26. Rusty said he knows his donor was a young man
from Dayton, Ohio. He said he is allowed to send a thank you note to the family through the transplant center and if they choose to respond he could get to know the family of the person who gave him a second lease on life.

The next miracle of the journey was the surgery itself. It only took the lead surgeon Michael Hanaway and his team six hours to transplant the healthy organs into Rusty. The match was perfect from the beginning and by 3:30 p.m. on the day of surgery Rusty was sitting up in a chair. By Saturday, he was transferred from the critical care unit to specialty care and was walking the hallways by 7:00 p.m.

His recuperation continued and after a near record hospital stay of only eight days, Rusty was released to come home.

There were several factors that made Rusty a perfect candidate. One, he had never abused his body by drinking alcohol or smoking. Two, he had always taken excellent care of himself and followed doctor's directions about medicines and care and hadn't had to be on dialysis. And three, his strong faith in God and the prayers of a number of people were carrying him through. "We couldn't have made it without the prayers of so many people," his mother noted. The family's obvious faith was a factor that has led them so much in their lives.

The Reed's lives, although full of faith, have also been full of challenges and this is just another one. The couple, who has celebrated 23 years of marriage, has lost a home to fire, found out they couldn't have children of their own, dealt with Connie having corrective foot surgery in September of last year, and battled Rusty's medical problems.

"God won't put anymore on you than you can handle," Rusty noted recalling some of the bad times, but saying they have been so blessed. While they couldn't have children, they have a beautiful daughter, Faith Qian, who is six-years-old. After knowing for certain they wouldn't be natural parents, the Reeds decided God had something or someone else for them. They were right. Waiting to be given love and a home was Faith. She was in China and they were in America, but the road wasn't that long. They brought her to their home in America on September 28, 2000. "Every time one door closed, another opened," laughed Connie, who shares a strong faith with her husband.

Their home burned with a lot of memories and their beloved pet lost in October of last year. However, even that didn't make the couple's faith waiver. "We've been surrounded by so many good people," they noted, saying their church family, which includes many churches, has always been faithful to help in their time of need, whether it be monetary or through prayers.

Going from a life of needles and checks to having a perfectly healthy pancreas is a big change for Reed. First, he would inject his insulin with needles, then he was put on an automatic type pump, and now he's free of worrying about insulin, his body is making its own. "It's really different, but you know I really don't eat many sweets now, I guess I just never acquired the taste because I couldn't have them," he said.

Rusty doesn't have blood pressure problems now and so many of the other ailments that come with diabetes. "It's just so neat to feel good," he said.

While Rusty is on medication to help prevent his body from rejecting the new organs, the possibility is still there. But it's not something he's going to worry about. "They were functioning perfectly when I came out of surgery," he noted saying his glucose level was 300 when he went in to surgery (very high for the normal 90 something) and just 90 when he came out.

On Thursday of last week, December 16, he had driven himself to his Christmas dinner at Batesville Tool & Die, and still had energy for an interview with The Versailles Republican that evening. His color was good, spirits were high and the room was full of thankfulness and anticipation of what is next in their lives.

Connie, who is employed with Family Connections in Versailles, says her employer has been great and while she is on leave right now looks forward to returning to work there.

Being the worship leader at the Batesville Church of Christ, music has always been an intregal part of Rusty's life. He noted that another church leader told him he wanted to hear him sing the song, "I got a feeling," when he is able. That has sort of been Rusty's theme, the song says, I got a feeling everything's going to be okay.

"I never questioned God, ever," he said. "I knew it would happen when it was His time, and whatever happened would be in His control."

At this season of miracles, the Reeds say they know they have witnessed miracles in their lives and they are thankful for so much.

WANDA ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTO

Standing are Connie Reed and mother-in-law, Elsie Lock, with the Reed's daughter, Faith seated with Rusty Reed and little dog Amber. They were pleased to pose for a photo getting ready to celebrate the first Christmas after Rusty's miraculous double-organ transplant.