Ed Robertson

Ed Robertson's wife, Pat, donated a kidney to him. But it came at a price. Pat stipulated that if she gave Ed a kidney, he had to get a hearing aid. That was three years ago, and the couple — married for 55 years — and both kidneys are doing well.

Ed had lost a kidney to cancer in 1987. The function of his remaining kidney gradually diminished. The situation became critical in 2000, and he had to begin dialysis three times each week. When Ed, then in his late 70s, explored the possibility of a kidney transplant, he was told he was too old.

He read a magazine article that reported that Mayo Clinic had begun performing transplants of unmatched kidneys. He called the transplant coordinator who encouraged him to schedule an appointment — the first time he'd heard optimism about transplant being a possibility for him.

Pat offered to donate a kidney to her husband. Imagine their surprise when they learned Pat's tissue actually was a match for her husband's.

"We went to Mayo Clinic because they did unmatched kidney transplants," says Ed. "Even though Pat and I have been happily married for more than 55 years, the first time we had proof we were actually compatible is when we learned our tissue matched!"

The transplant surgery took place two weeks before Pat's 75th birthday and one month before Ed's 80th birthday. Pat left the hospital three days later and was followed by Ed a day later. After remaining in Rochester for outpatient follow-up care for three weeks, the couple returned home to Kansas City, Mo.

"Our friends couldn't believe we shared the driving on the trip back home so soon after transplant surgery," says Ed. "The driving wasn't a problem, but we had to have help loading our luggage because we weren't supposed to lift anything heavy."

Ed hopes his story will encourage others to fight for their health when they encounter obstacles. "I kept getting told I was too old. I just had to find the right place to get help," he says.

"I like to think I scored a triple play — marriage to the right person, Mayo Clinic coming into my life, and a miracle occurring to save my life," says Ed.