Charlotte Markle

In the fall of 1965, 22-year-old Charlotte Markle was enjoying being a newlywed when life took an unexpected turn. She felt ill and made an appointment to see her physician, wondering if she might be pregnant. Before she could see her physician, she began having convulsions. Local physicians could not determine the problem, so Charlotte was flown to Mayo Clinic. She was stunned to learn her kidneys had deteriorated and she would need to begin dialysis immediately. A kidney transplant was an option, but physicians cautioned Charlotte that, in 1965, she had only a 50 percent chance of success with transplant. The procedure had been performed at Mayo Clinic for only two years.

Charlotte had difficulty with dialysis and decided transplant was her only option. In March 1966, Charlotte received a kidney from her older brother Roland Books — one of her six siblings. She was the seventh recipient of a kidney transplant at Mayo Clinic. Today, Charlotte is one of Mayo Clinic's longest living kidney transplant recipients.

"I recall being scared, especially when another patient in the hospital at the same time died waiting for a transplant," says Charlotte. "My new husband, David, was just as scared as I was. But he was very devoted and stood by my side. The night before my transplant, I went to the hospital chapel with my mother. We prayed that everything would turn out all right. I remember leaving the chapel feeling relieved and comforted. I felt like God was going to be with me and would help me pull through."

Roland's kidney began functioning in his little sister immediately after the transplant.

"The doctors told me that Roland's tissue matched mine so well that we could have been twins," says Charlotte. "I felt much better right away. I still continue to feel well 39 years later. The doctors at Mayo are amazed at how healthy the kidney is. I feel like I still have part of my brother with me." Roland died in 1993.

Physicians advised Charlotte and David not to have children because transplantation was new at the time.

"Starting out a marriage this way was very devastating for us. We were disappointed, but we followed the advice of my doctors," says Charlotte. "It wasn't in God's plan for us to have children. I feel so blessed that everything has worked out so well. We have had 40 wonderful years of marriage. I think starting out our marriage this way brought us even closer. My wish for every transplant patient is to have as miraculous an outcome as I have had.

"I have every respect for each doctor at Mayo Clinic who has had some input in my care since day one," says Charlotte. "If it were not for them, I would not be here today. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."