A Saskatoon woman who advertised for a kidney donor has returned home with rosy cheeks and a new kidney.. Kruger and OnishenkoKruger and Onishenko .Debbie Onishenko and donor Brent Kruger underwent kidney transplant surgery on February 28. Kruger left the hospital about a week later, while Onishenko remained for a month..“It was good. I had a few side effect problems after the surgery because all those anti-rejection drugs, they're pretty hard on your system, so it takes a while to get used to them,” Onishenko said in an interview..“I got a urinary tract infection. And for the first week, I couldn't eat or drink anything because the drugs and that really wrecked my esophagus and stuff. So it took a while for them to get the meds to get that working properly … [but] the kidney is functioning fantastic.”.Kidney disease had worn down Onishenko’s organs for years, including a few on an organ donor waiting list. Last fall, she advertised “SHARE YOUR SPARE” on the rear window of her car, while her husband Ed called local news media to amplify the reach of her appeal..“I always thought positive and hoped that it would happen, but it takes a long, long time to find a donor. And fortunately, Deb put that sign on her car and Brent saw it and gave her a call. And he decided to go through the whole process of being tested and he became a match,” Ed Onishenko explained in an interview..“It's definitely a miracle. It's amazing. And Brent is going to change Deb's life forever … We're more than grateful for Brent and his wife Alison and his family for supporting him.”.READ MORE Saskatoon woman needing kidney finds donor in her city through car ad.Kruger, an addiction rehabilitation program Teen Challenge employee, told the Western Standard he is also well..“I feel great. My energy level was pretty low at the start when I got home, but I feel like my energy level right now is about what it was pre-surgery,” Kruger said..“I went to see Debbie two days after both of our surgeries. I walked into her room and I actually had to ask her if she was wearing makeup because the colour in her face was totally different. She had full colour,” Kruger recalled..“Hearing how good the new kidney in her is working, that is just so fulfilling. It just really means the world to me to see the physical changes that she's experiencing.”.Ed Onishenko said the change was obvious on his first visit after surgery..“I totally saw a difference when I walked in. Her colour was back to normal. She had a permanent smile on her face. Yeah, she was in great spirits.”.Deb herself had the same impression..“Once I saw myself in the mirror, I was like, ‘Whoa, this looks really good.’ I feel better. You don't realize how you were before until afterwards. And you go, ‘OK, this worked!’”.Onishenko said her healing journey remains “busy like crazy,” with weekly visits to the kidney clinic for blood work..“They're still adjusting some of the meds. And some of the anti-rejection drugs make my magnesium really low. I had to go in the beginning of the week and have a four-hour IV of magnesium, and then some IVs of antibiotics for most of this week.”.Better health will make it easier for Onishenko to care for her parents and enjoy life with more vitality..“I hope to be able to travel again. This summer, we're having a family reunion, and I'm so happy that I'll be able to be a part of that. And my niece’s wedding is coming up. All these things that you never know how you'd be feeling for, I'm gonna be great for.”.Kruger and Onishenko still communicate regularly. Deb says the Krugers are invited to her family reunion, and her husband says the organ donation has made a lasting connection in more ways than one..“It's a miracle and he’s part of our family now because Deb's got his kidney. So it's a bond that's going to last for a lifetime,” Ed Onishenko said..Kruger said some friends were inspired by his example to fill out organ donor cards. Onishenko heard at the kidney clinic that Kruger’s donation has prompted others to inquire about organ donations..“I guess they've been getting lots of calls since all of this has happened about people asking for donations and stuff like that.”.“The most wonderful part of all of this is that it's waking people up to understand what live donation is and that it can work wonderfully … just to get people out there realizing that they can save someone else's life.”
