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Show Pour I The IVnimid IkvemlxT 1!), 198-- Gifts of Christmases past, present The best gift the gift of life Bv Ida O. Donaldson CHESTE- R- The Jim Stapley family has already received the best Christmas gift they could ever hope for, the gift of life made possible when Jim received a kidney from an brain dead boy from the Salt Lake City area. The kidney transplant was perin on Election Day formed November. Jim remembers that his health Ix'gan failing in October of 1982 but didn't know what was wrong. On Sept. 25. 1983, Jim was in an automobile accident and was hospitalized. When examined, it was found that his blood pressure was extremely high 235 over 160. A normal pressure is 120 over 80. Blood tests were run and it was discovered that the Creatin level in Jim's blood was at level five. Normal level is under two. Jim's Creatin level was to eventually go as high as eight Tins was Christmas Jim's condition as of 1983. January of 1984, Jim went to the diversity of Utah Medical Center which verified that he did have kidney disease and that both kindness were failing. Jim was put on a very strict diet with no sodium, sugar, or potassium "Potatoes are one of the highest fixid.s w ith potassium, Jim said. "If we ever ate potatoes, they had to be Ixiiled three times, pouring the water off each time and then to go more is because he watched his diet so carefully. While Jim was going through dialysis, his wife, Clare, was being trained to do the dialysis at home. Clare was the first person ever trained at the University of Utah Provo Satellite Unit to perform home dialysis. Jim said it took him about three months to adjust to dialysis. After that time, he felt much better and was even able to take some classes at Snow College. Doctors told Jim that he was a good candidate for a transplant if a kidney should become available. Jim put his name on a list of many persons throughout the country who were waiting for a kidney donation. Doctors even checked family members to see if one of them could donate one of their kidneys to Jim. In June, Jim's brother, Keith who lives in Houston, Texas, was scheduled to donate a kidney to Jim. However, in studying family medical history, doctors decided against using Keiths kidney. Jim continued on diaylsis and was doing better and feeling stronger all the time. Then on Election Day while Jim was having dialysis in Provo, a telephone call came that a kidney had become available and he should be in Salt Lake City in one hour. Other possible recipients were also notified and Jim was but one of many who might be suitable for this particular kidney. The kidney had come from an boy in the Salt Lake area who had been playing in Liberty Park and had fallen through a skylight. The boy had been pronounced brain dead. Family members were match the blood type and tissue type of the donor. Otherwise, rejection would occur. When Jim was told he could have the transplant, both he and Clare wondered if they should really go through with it. Jim was doing so well on dialysis, maybe they should continue with it. Maybe Jim would reject the kidney. So many questions! So many doubts! At 8 p.m. on Election night, the surgery was finished. Jim stayed in the hospital for a month during which time he did suffer a moderate rejection. However, Jim rallied and has been doing very well since then. Jim is home now to enjoy Christmas with his wife, Clare, his children. Garth, Gayle, Richelle, and Clay, his parents, LaRoy and Geneva Stapley of Chester, and other family members. Jim and Clare become very emotional when they talk about the goodness of people since he has become ill. They would like to take this means of thanking everyone for what they have done for them. Their beautiful Christmas tree was given by Mary Kay Christensen and her family of Moroni. Jean Guymons Primary class all sent cards. The Mt. Pleasant Hospital sent cards as did the 5th Grade Mt. School Pleasant Elementary students and many others. Both the day and night crews at Sperry Univac where Clare works, have given money and food and have lieen so supportive of the family. Many people have brought food and cared for the children. The Stapleys want everyone to know how much they love and appreciate all who have shown such concern for them. Jim and Clare hope that people everywhere will become more aware of the possibility of donating organs to those who so desperately need them. In case of automobile accidents or other means where brain death may occur, organs may Ik1 donated to help others. Jims surgery, he wondered had done the right thing. Elder Loren C. Dunn visited with Jim in the hospital and assured Jim that the young donor had finished his mission in life and that Jim had a wife and four children to live for. Elder Dunn said this was the Lord's way to help Jim perform his mission After if he in life. Jim Stapley and family think this year is their best Christmas ever! wish you a very They thank you and a Happy New and Christmas merry Year. en- couraged to donate the boys organs so that other persons, such as Jim Stapley of Chester, could live. The parents gave their permission. Jim received one kidney. The other went to another kidney patient. Those chosen had to most nearly In I ' frozen." The rest of the family did not eat the same way as Jim who existed mostly on lots of green vegetables. The diet was to prepare Jim to go on the dialysis machine which would purify his blood and do the work of the weakened kidneys. Jim said he got so sick, he wished he could die. but he continued to follow his diet carefully. Doctors inserted a fistula and tube inside his left arm, and attached an artery to a blood vessel to prepare Jim to go onto the dialysis machine. Dialysis began the first week of July and Jim traveled to Provo twice a week for three hours each day to have the impurities taken from his blood. "Dialysis itself is a miracle," according to Jim. It is not a cure, but it is a treatment and it works." Jim says people have been known to have lived for 20 years on dialysis and one woman he saw getting dialysis was 95 years old. The dialysis machine takes out one cup of blood at a time through the fistula, purifies it, and returns it to the body. "That is the reason it takes tliree hours to purify the entire biood stream," Jim said. Some people have to go more than twice a week." The main reason Jim did not have Miracle of Christmas Tiny ring restores a little girls faith in Santa It was the SPRING CIT- YMiracle of Christmas," Mrs. Doyle Helen) Madsen remembers about a special Christmas many years ago, old child, a when as a nine-yea- r small gold ring renewed her faith in Santa Claus. Santa Claus was the Spirit of Christmas' for children," she and it made the remembers, season so much more special. It brought joy to our hearts to believe in Santa." "Children nowadays are spared." Our father and mother were both sick as were some of my brothers and sisters. I had three brothers and two sisters and was the second oldest of the children. The youngest was just a baby. Grandmother had come to stay with us to help care for us. Glad tidings to all. ..it's the season to greet good friends! Anita & so skeptical about Santa Claus, and he has gotten more commercialized that some of the spirit of Christmas is lost to them," Helen said. But we really believed in him and had faith that he would come. It was the winter of 1917, and I'll never forget it, she said. The dreaded Spanish influenza epidemic had struck and our family was not Renee The Beauty Spot Mt. Pleasant The schools had closed because the epidemic. Churches were also closed and funerals for those' who died were conducted at gravesides. Stores were open, but storekeepers would not allow anyone to enter the store. We would have to knock on the door and hand him a list of what we needed and then wait for him to gather the items. We would then take what he brought to us, hand him the money for them, and leave. No one was allowed to go anyplace without wearing a guaze mask over their faces. We even wore them at home to keep the sickness from spreading. Each morning as we would wake up we would say, Grandma, who died last night? "My very best friend died and so did our Bishop. We were a close ward and everyone knew everyone and we were concerned about so many dying from the flu. I was beginning to wonder about Santa Claus because my brothers kept kidding me that there was no Santa. But I really wanted to believe that he existed so I decided to find out for sure. I had seen a gold signet ring in store and I really the fifteen-cen- t wanted it badly. I had never had one, and it wasnt a very big thing, and I suppose it didnt cost more than 15 cents. "So I wrote a letter to Santa. I decided if there really was a Santa Claus, he would answer my letter. I asked him to bring things for my brothers and sisters and to bring a gold signet ring for me. I told no one that I was writing the letter and when it was done I put it outside by the side of our porch under a rose bush. "It still brings tears to my eyes to think of it after all these years," Helen recalled. Since we didnt have a Christmas tree, my mama gave permission for my brother, John, to cut down a small tree in our yard. We brought it into the house, and Grandma showed us how to make daisy chains out of newspaper. We also had some corn, and we popped corn and strung it for the tree. At the very top of the tree we hung our star." It was the top of a tin can. One of the boys climbed to the top of the tree to hang it. Then bulb with the light from a that hung from the ceiling in the kitchen, the star seemed to take on a special brilliance. It was beautiful to of The Jim Stapley family of Chester have already received the best Christmas gift--- a kidney transplant life. Left Jim which means a longer, disease-fre- e to right are Jim, Gayle, Richelle, and Clay in the front row; back row are Garth and Clare. They are deeply indebted to the family who made the transplant possi-fo- r hie. tt us. "Before Christmas, Father became so bad that he was taken to the hospital. Mother was so sick that she didn't know what was going on. And Grandma took us aside and told us not to expect anything for Christmas, that Santa couldnt come this year because of the flu. So on Christmas eve we sang Christmas carols and went to bed. But I couldn't sleep. The next morning I got up very quietly and went out the front door. My letter was gone. The little glass of milk and cookie that we had left for Santa was also gone. I went by myself to the stockings this Christmas gladden the hearts of all with the true meaning of the season. Best wishes to all our good patrons. May Spring City that were hung and in each stocking there was an orange and a banana. I had dreamed that the fruit was going to be there, and it was. I had also dreamed that in the toe of my stocking I would find the ring I had wanted. 1 can remember it so distinctly. It was a true miracle. For in the toe of my stocking just as 1 had dreamed, there was The gold signet ring. It was such a tiny little thing, but it restored my faith in Santa, and I treasured that ring for years. I still do not know what happened to my letter, but Ill always remember the Miracle of that Christmas. SCW INC to decorate our hearths and homes with holiday cheer...and to wish our many friends a truly joyous Yuletide! would like to invite you to an open house goodies, Friday, December 21, all day at Fairview and Mt. FAR WEST BANK with prizes & Pleasant Banks. A SPECIAL THANKS FROM ALL OF US AT FAR WEST BAMK (5 cD |