Ascension St. Thomas Hospital keeps "sibling love" alive! It’s a bond like no other. When Jeri Crabtree, 75, found out she needed a kidney transplant, her sister Pat Cole, 71, didn't think twice about gifting one of hers. “It was a no-brainer for me,” said Pat. “I believe, in my heart, I wasn’t just giving my sister a kidney. I was giving back her life.”
Back in 1950, when Jeri was only two and a half years old, she started to experience high fever and abdominal pain that persisted for several days. After two or three visits to the hospital without any answers, Jeri’s parents took her home. Late one night, Jeri’s appendix ruptured and infection circulated throughout her body.
Although she had little pain, the fever and lethargy persisted. Finally, on another visit to the emergency room, Jeri’s parents' prayers were answered. "The doctor on call took one look at me and told her parents that I was going into surgery right then," said Jeri. The surgery was successful, and before long, Jeri was back home and recovering. Because of Jeri’s young age and lack of other similar cases, the doctors could not predict any future damage to Jeri’s organs.
When Jeri was in her 20's and 30's, she went through routine checkups with her primary care physician, and they frequently showed patterns of blood and protein in her urine. They mentioned this was normal for her and not to worry. As she was approaching 40, her general practitioner advised a kidney care regimen. “I didn't feel bad, so I wasn’t inspired to heed the warning,” said Jeri. In 2015, after spending several days in lower Alabama helping her daughter cleanup after flood damage, she came home experiencing nausea and fever. “I was determined I had spent too much time cleaning up,” said Jeri. “I finally went to get lab work. It showed I had stage 4 kidney disease and stage 5 renal failure. This was the point where I told my sister and family about my diagnosis.”
Jeri’s general practitioner referred her to a nephrologist, and she continued regular checkups with them for seven years until 2022. “When my GFR numbers reached 17, I told them I wanted to be referred to a kidney surgeon and transplant program,” said Jeri. “I was referred to Dr. Derek Moore, abdominal transplant surgeon at Ascension Saint Thomas West. I believe God was working his magic. My sister, Pat, has a daughter, Summer, who lives in Nashville and works at Ascension Saint Thomas West as a surgical assistant for Dr. Moore in the kidney transplant department. Summer told Dr. Moore about my situation and how her mother, Pat, would be willing to be a donor for her sister Jeri.”
Jeri and Pat were then scheduled for an initial evaluation and applied for the transplant program. “At this point, Pat and I were so excited, yet so nervous,” said Jeri. We were most concerned that we might be too old to be approved.” After the evaluation and paperwork were completed, Jeri was approved for a kidney transplant, and her sister, Pat, was a match. On July 19, 2022, the surgery was performed successfully. They are now seven months in recovery. “There are not sufficient words to express the new and still growing level of appreciation and love I feel for Pat since our surgeries,” said Jeri. “As for me, Pat is my hero. Not only my sister but my best friend, too.”
“It was an absolute gift that we were a match,” said Pat. “Just because you are related, doesn't always mean it’s going to work. I wanted to give her an extension on her life to be spent with her husband, four kids, 12 grandchildren and continue to share our relationship for as long as possible.”
