South Hampton Man Donates Kidney to Friend in Need

HAMPTON, NH - A South Hampton, N.H. man reunited with an old friend and donated his kidney after hearing that the Massachusetts was diagnosed with Berger's disease. According to Newburyport News, Dan Stolworthy of South Hampton, and Amesbury resident John Aponas had been friends for a long time but lost touch. But, when Aponas sent an email to friends asking for a kidney donation, Stolworthy responded.

Although he had no family history of kidney disease, Aponas, 53, was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy when he was 45. Also known as Berger’s disease, IgA nephropathy occurs when immunoglobulin lodges in a person’s kidney and greatly diminishes its capacity to filter waste.

While he had registered for a kidney donation with Massachusetts General Hospital, Aponas was told it might take two to five years to find a suitable donor. Although he has several siblings, they were not a donor match. Urged by his friends Robin Schell and Berta Grunbeck — a registered nurse who works with New England Donor Services, Aponas composed an email and sent it to family members and friends to let them know of his need for a kidney donor.

One of those friends was Dan Stolworthy of South Hampton, New Hampshire. Stolworthy was subjected to an EKG, MRI, stress test, CAT scan and an echocardiogram. Blood work was done four times and he paid a visit to an organ donor psychologist.

The two underwent transplantation surgery on Apr. 19.

To check out the full story, visit the Newburyport News.