Blanca Caceres had been suffering from terrible pain in her joints since she was a child. The West New York native, who lived in Paterson at the time, was diagnosed with arthritis.
In 1998, Blanca and her family moved out to Missouri for her father’s job.
Shortly after moving to the Midwest, Blanca developed lupus, and the disease began attacking the one kidney she was born with.
Lupus is a chronic disease in which the immune system treats the body’s own tissue as a foreign substance and produces antibodies to fight it. The damage caused by these antibodies may produce symptoms such as a butterfly-shaped rash on the face, headache, fatigue, arthritic joint disease, heart damage, shortness of breath, and impaired kidney function. Diagnosis of lupus is difficult and can take years because symptoms may mimic other disorders.
Over the next couple of years, Blanca’s disease progressed to the point where she required dialysis. Living in West New York with her new husband, Giovanni Caceres, Blanca began dialysis treatments.
Family matches
Blanca’s family rallied for her cause. Almost miraculously, both Blanca’s brother and older sister turned out to be matches for kidney donation.
However, Blanca’s sister Natalie already had a family of her own to consider, having recently had a child.
This is where Blanca’s brother Jose stepped in.
Jose, who still lived in Missouri and was working quite successfully as a service manager for FedEx Ground, didn’t hesitate. “We’re a tight family,” he said in a phone interview last week. “I never thought twice about it, because I would do anything for my sister.” Continued Jose, “I have to admit that as we got closer to the operation, I was a little nervous, but I never doubted what I was doing.”
The operation
On February 13, 2003, at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Blanca and Jose underwent the operation, called a donor nephrectomy. One surgeon removed one of Jose’s two kidneys, while in an adjoining room, a team of doctors prepared Blanca to receive her brother’s donated kidney.
Four hours later, both Jose and Blanca were in the recovery room. According to a press release from Newark Beth Israel, Jose stayed in the hospital for a mere three days, while Blanca remained in the hospital for one week so doctors could monitor her body’s acceptance of the new kidney.
Jose stuck around West New York for a couple of weeks before returning to work in Missouri. Said Jose, “I was examined by the surgeon before leaving the hospital, and he said I was fine to travel. I also visited my physician once I got home, and he said I was all set to return to work. Now all I have to do is live a healthy lifestyle and go for an annual physical.”
According to Jose, his biggest fear was the pain that would result from the operation, but his worries turned out to be unfounded. Said Jose, “The pain wasn’t as bad as I thought. I couldn’t detect a change in my body, but my sister said she started feeling better right away. She felt good.”
The aftermath
Blanca said, “I have so much more energy now, and that’s the biggest change in my life. I eat better, sleep better. My quality of life has improved drastically, all thanks to my brother.”
At first Jose was nonchalant about his role in his sister’s return to the land of the living. Said Jose, “At first, I didn’t think anything of it. It didn’t hit me of how big what I did was.” But Jose soon realized the enormousness of what he did. Continued Jose, “Afterward, a lot of people talked to me and gave me a lot of positive enforcement. I finally realized it was something big.”
Blanca is continuing her recovery and according to Newark Beth Israel, unsure of whether to head back to school or get a job. Said Blanca, “All I know is that whatever I decide to do, I’m going to feel great doing it!”