Brance Modin

Moments before Kathy Franzen, 20, was to marry Brance Modin, 20, in 1972, Kathy asked her sister to look through the church door.

"Is he still there?" Kathy asked her sister.

Despite Kathy's pre-wedding nerves, there wasn't a chance her groom wasn't going to be there.

"I knew the first day I saw her that she was the one," says Brance. The couple met at Oak Hills Bible College in Bemidji, Minn., and dated for two years before marrying. "I knew she was perfect for me."

Kathy was perfect for Brance in a way he didn't foresee. In 2003, Kathy donated her right kidney to her husband.

"God blessed me with two functioning kidneys and good health. If I can live with just one and share one with someone in need, I can make that small sacrifice — especially for someone I love so much," says Kathy.

"I remain speechless at the gift she gave me," says Brance. "She truly is my lifesaver and hero."

Brance first learned he had any problem with his kidneys when he offered to have his blood analyzed to test a new chemistry analyzer at the hospital where he works. Brance is a general surgeon. The lab technician told him his creatinine level was elevated. The amount of creatinine in blood indicates how well the kidneys are functioning. His blood pressure also was very high.

Brance saw a local kidney specialist, who ran numerous tests, including a kidney biopsy. The diagnosis was focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease that results from scarring of the glomeruli, the tiny structures within the kidney that filter impurities from the blood to create urine. These scars are visible under the microscope in tissue removed from the kidney by biopsy. As these scars accumulate, kidney function worsens and the kidneys can eventually fail.

"My doctor said I would probably lose kidney function within five years," says Brance. "He also told me I might not be a transplant candidate. I was shocked and in disbelief. I regularly give patients such life-changing news, so why not me?"

Brance's kidney specialist recommended he have a consultation at Mayo Clinic. "I refer patients to Mayo Clinic, and my father had surgery there, and I've always thought the care was excellent," says Brance.

During the time he waited for his condition to progress to a point when he would be eligible for a transplant, Brance worked to improve his health.

"I made major changes so I would be as healthy as possible when that time came," he says. He changed to a low-fat diet and began regular exercise, including running, biking and cross-country skiing. He ran half-marathons and the 51-kilometer American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race in Hayward, Wis.

"In addition to feeling better from these changes, it helped to reset my priorities," says Brance. "I began to live and enjoy each day. My faith in God was renewed. I was able to continue working up until the time of transplant."

An overwhelming number of friends and family offered to be tested for compatibility for a transplant.

"We had read that you don't have to be a blood relative to donate a kidney," says Kathy. "I decided I would like to be tested."

After three days of testing, Kathy was declared a compatible match for her husband.

"Just like Brance was there for me on our wedding day — when I asked my sister to make sure he was waiting for me at the altar — I was sure going to be there for him," says Kathy.

The transplant surgery was a success. "The Mayo Clinic transplant team has provided wonderful care. My nephrologist, Dr. Thomas Schwab, managed the details and gave Kathy and me the best and most reassuring care," says Brance. "And Dr. Michael Ishitani was a most skilled and compassionate surgeon. After a few days in the hospital and a few weeks in Rochester, Kathy and I were back home. Within six weeks after the transplant, I was performing surgery. I enjoy working every day and am thankful for the opportunity to serve others. One of the many gifts this situation has given me is a greater bond with my patients in their illnesses. Our relationships are even more special now."

Brance has been well since the transplant and continues his athletic pursuits. One year after his transplant, he competed in the Birkebeiner again.

"Before the race, the announcer broadcasts birthdays and other special occasions," says Kathy. "He said, 'Brance Modin is back for his first race since his kidney transplant a year ago.' The cheer from the crowd was overwhelming. I was so proud of him (see photo above)."

"The joy of living each day and counting all the blessings I have has been worth the journey," says Brance. "The transplant was a miracle that has changed my life. I still have end-stage kidney disease, but I appreciate each day as the best chance to live life to the fullest."