Montco Man Receives Kidney from Each Brother, 20 Years Apart

A Montgomery County man received a kidney donation from each of his brothers - 20 years apart. The selfless donations helped him to resolve a illness that had ailed him for the last few decades.

According to the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Perkiomenville's Scott Fluharty first required a kidney transplant in 1996. He'd been overexposed to formaldehyde, a toxic component in glue that he used in his custom wood-working business.

So Scott's younger brother Ken stepped up to the plate, donating a kidney to help out.

That worked until 2015, when Scott began to feel unwell. Doctors at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest determined that he needed another kidney. He expected to wait for three years.

Scott's other brother, Mark, however, had begun undergoing tests. Scott was hesitant to allow Mark to donate.

“Mark has a family and I didn’t want him take that risk,” Scott said.

But Mark was insistent. He said that after doing all those tests, he was going to donate a kidney whether Scott wanted it or not.

Fast forward to Jan. 4: after a successful surgery, both Scott and Mark begin recuperating. Mark is adamant that more people should donate kidneys.

“We’re born with two and really only need one to live a normal life," he said. "If more folks would donate their spare kidney, it would decrease the number of patients who require the arduous dialysis regimen that often goes on for years."

Patch file photo