Twenty-one-year-old Alissa Pitcher of Grand Rapids, Mich., was moved last spring by a Mena, Arkansas, mother’s plea on behalf of her son.

The request for prayers came via e-mail from an old family friend, Tammy Hamelink, whose 23-year-old son, Kryn, was in desperate need of a kidney transplant.

As Pitcher’s mother read Hamelink’s e-mail aloud, Pitcher became curious, recalling her thoughts on her Web site blog: “What if I could do this? Can I really help in this way? As soon as Mom read Kryn’s blood type (O), my curiosity grew stronger. I knew that my blood type was compatible with his.”

Hamelink’s e-mail also mentioned a contact at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) – Diane Richards, R.N., living donor transplant coordinator – for those who might be interested in donating a kidney.

Pitcher, a student at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, made the call to Richards, who counseled her as she went through the testing that eventually led to Pitcher being declared a match in the fall.

“Basically, she has made herself available to me at anytime,” Pitcher wrote on her Web site blog. “I call. She answers. Yes, she is as busy as ever, my goodness. But yet she still has time to not only answer my phone calls, but go in depth and make sure all is well on this end.”

When Pitcher learned that she was a match, she informed her parents, who embraced her decision.

“I just felt such a peace about it,” Pitcher said. “I was like, ‘I’m young, I’m healthy, I can do this.’”

Kryn’s kidney function, meanwhile, had dropped to about 8 percent. The loss of function was due to Alport’s syndrome, a hereditary condition that affects kidney function as well as vision and hearing. He was fatigued, retaining fluid, and there was an increasingly strong, ammonia-like taste in his mouth. Without a new kidney, dialysis was looming.

After Pitcher told her parents, she called Kryn’s family, and his mother answered. Pitcher recalled her reaction on her blog:

“Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!… Tammy was a little excited. ”

Kryn wasn’t at home for Pitcher’s phone call that evening. “I was at youth group, and my sister pulled me aside and said, ‘We found a match for you,’ and I was like, ‘Yes!’”

Surgery was set for Dec. 9, allowing Pitcher to wrap up her semester work and to recover before the spring semester began. UAMS transplant surgeon Frederick Bentley, M.D., and laparoscopic surgeon Diane Rhoden, M.D., removed Pitcher’s kidney through a two-inch incision using minimally invasive techniques. Bentley then performed the transplant.

Two weeks after surgery, both Kryn and Pitcher were doing well.

“I feel great,” Kryn said during a follow-up visit three days before Christmas. “My energy levels are way higher than they were before the surgery.”

“It’s just been amazing how well it’s gone,” said Pitcher, who was able to leave the hospital after just two days.

Her father, Randy Pitcher, said the families were impressed by the UAMS experience.

“The hospital and the people here, even the housekeepers and the people who bring food are so polite and so accommodating,” Randy said. “They always have a smile and a kind word to say. I’ve never sat in a waiting room where they give you a beeper and update you every step of the surgery. It was awesome to get those updates.”

Bentley said it was rare to have such a young donor and recipient. Typical recipients are in their 40s and older, and living non-related donors are usually spouses.

Bentley noted that immediately after surgery Pitcher’s kidney function was reduced by half, but in six months it will be back to 85 percent.

“The other kidney works harder and actually gets larger,” Bentley said. “People live whole lives with just one kidney with no problem.”

Richards said she was impressed by Alissa throughout the process.

“It was remarkable to see her, as young as she is, come forward like she did,” Richards said. “She was willing to interrupt her whole life; it was truly a selfless act.”

Pitcher’s blog can be found at: http://alissakidney.blogspot.com/

Palmalee Byrd was the little boy that all the other children made fun of on the playground. When he went to school for the first time, he couldn’t keep up because he was unable to see to read the board. He returned to school the next year with very thick glasses and was teased every day.

Following his graduation, Palmalee wanted to join the military to serve during the Vietnam War. He failed the physical due to his poor eyesight and was rejected for military service.

After wearing glasses for 50 years, Palmalee was thrilled to be able to see clearly for the first time in his life following his cataract surgery at the UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute. Doubting that the UAMS Eye Institute could help him because he had been treated by so many eye doctors during his lifetime, Palmalee was still willing to undergo cataract surgery by Dr. Romona Davis. Dr. Davis treated him like a family member and communicated her personal interest in his medical treatment, so he trusted that she would take care of him.

A day after his surgery, Palmalee was able to see clearly and even able to read license plates. Now he uses only over-the-counter reading glasses.

“I could not believe it could be done, but I was willing to try. And thank God I did.”

Relatives who had not seen him in years are astounded by the new Palmalee. Having worn glasses all his life, including a broken pair that had been taped together, his loved ones are very impressed by the improvement in Palmalee’s vision.

Due to his limited vision, Palmalee spent a lot of time in the house when he was young, and he developed a love for music. Able to play several musical instruments, Palmalee has performed with several musical groups during his professional career.

“I want to encourage people who have vision problems to come to UAMS for treatment. I’ve traveled around a lot, and people in Arkansas don’t realize that we have a world-class facility here in Arkansas.”

UAMS Eye Care
Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute

At UAMS, we offer our patients the best care through our state-of-the-art equipment and technology and doctors who are committed to providing personalized medical treatment.

Before successful treatment at UAMS, Ann Kincl was misdiagnosed by three eye doctors. Her eyelid gland malfunction caused great discomfort and pain, and she was constantly blinking.

While she was embarrassed by her inability to maintain eye contact with others, her family and friends were trying to assist her in obtaining the correct medical treatment. Other doctors performed procedures and prescribed medication, but Ann’s eyes remained uncomfortable and her vision continued to deteriorate.

Dr. Nicola Kim of the UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute finally identified her eyelid disorder, putting her on a simple regimen that eased her discomfort and frequent blinking. However, the previous use of steroid medication had led Ann to rapidly develop cataracts and glaucoma, so Dr. Kim offered a new, cutting-edge technology to treat Ann’s cataracts.

Ann had two surgeries, one on each eye approximately a week apart, to correct her vision with intraocular lenses. Designed to provide enhanced image quality and a full range of vision, these new lenses offered Ann the best opportunity for a life free of glasses and contacts, and Ann was a perfect candidate for this treatment.

“I have been truly blessed. In addition to Dr. Kim’s expertise in the field, she truly cares for you as an individual. Dr. Kim takes time with you, and that’s very important to me. She lets you know that she understands your personal needs and makes you feel at ease.”

Following her cataract surgery, Ann has near perfect vision and no longer uses glasses or contacts. And she does not require treatment for glaucoma because she does not require the steroid medications any more. Since she is also much more comfortable physically, her quality of life has increased, and she was able to return to her work tutoring students.

UAMS Eye Care
Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute

When Rita James was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991, it stirred painful memories.

Her mother died of breast cancer in 1969 at age 47. That’s just two years older than Rita was at the time of her diagnosis.

Those memories reawakened when one of her two daughters was diagnosed in 2009. As the James family soon realized, family history can be one of the best indicators of breast cancer occurrence.

Waging War
James’ cancer battle began Jan. 16, 1991, the same day fighting began in the Gulf War against Iraq.

“I remember waking up that day wondering if we were at war, but I was already at war against my cancer,” she said of the day she was diagnosed.

A mastectomy followed. Still, since her mother’s cancer returned after treatment, she wanted to consider all options — leading her to the Cancer Institute and Laura Hutchins, M.D., director of the UAMS Division of Hematology/Oncology. 

“I knew when I came here she’d be aggressive in her treatment, and that’s what I wanted.”

She began a six-month chemotherapy treatment. Hutchins sat with her through the first dose.

Through the treatments, James kept working as a math curriculum specialist with the Little Rock School District. She did not let the disease slow her.

Daughter Karen said her mother remained positive through the ordeal. ‘Mom taught us to appreciate every day and not to sweat the small stuff,” she said.

Winning the Battle
In 1996, she had her five-year checkup. It was a milestone, particularly since her mother did not survive five years after her diagnosis.

But it wasn’t long after that when Rita felt another lump. The cancer had returned, meaning a round of radiation therapy.

Cancer left the James family alone for 13 years. Then in May 2009, an abnormality showed up in a mammogram of Rita’s daughter, Jennifer, 40.

Knowing the family history, both Jennifer and Karen began having regular mammograms and checkups early. Jennifer was not surprised to find the abnormal area was malignant.

“I was scared just knowing what mom had been through,” said Jennifer, who had a mastectomy in July. “But I don’t think of breast cancer as a death sentence anymore. I found mine before I could even feel anything.”
 
Her prognosis is good. 

Forging On
Because of their strong family history, Rita and her daughters decided to be tested for genetic defects that can indicate an increased risk for breast cancer. About a third of patients with a family history of cancer will have such a genetic mutation.

Rita’s test showed a defect in one gene segment. Her daughters had a 50-50 chance of inheriting the defect that could mean an increased risk of cancer.
But it was Karen, not Jennifer, who had the genetic anomaly.

“I think the testing is important, but to me the results showed that family history can be just as important as genetics,” Jennifer said.

Karen took the results in stride, continuing regular checkups and self-exams. “It’s just something to stay on top of,” she said.

The women are adamant about the importance of mammograms, regular checkups and self-exams.

“I’m amazed at people who have a lump and don’t do anything,” Rita said.

“Or who won’t get a mammogram because they say it hurts too much,” added Jennifer. 

Breast Cancer
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute