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All in the Family: Man a perfect match to donate kidney to father-in-law

Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:34 PM

Updated today at 5:54 PM

Sally-Ann Roberts / Eyewitness News
Email: sroberts@wwltv.com |

METAIRIE, La. – Sixty-two-year-old Ken Roig has had the same routine for the past year.

After a full day’s work, he returns to his Metairie home where his wife Pat hooks him up to a dialysis machine.

While waiting for a kidney transplant, he spends 11 ½ hours a night, every night, on dialysis.

“There is that moment of despair,” he said. “God, I’m going to be doing this for the rest of my life. That’s the first thing that hit my mind. How long can I do this?”

Fortunately, he won’t have to handle that much longer because he has found a hero – Alex McLean.

Although separated by distance (Alex, a CPA, lives in South Carolina), theirs is a close relationship. Next month Alex will donate one of his kidneys to his father-in-law.

“It’s rare that somebody is provided an opportunity to totally change someone’s life,” he said.

Ken and Pat remember the moment Alex called with the news.

 

“They’re talking and all of a sudden he says, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m a match and we’re going to have a kidney transplant,’” recalled Pat. “We couldn’t even talk. I mean, we were crying.”

Ken believes it was divine intervention since no one in the family matched his blood type, but Alex, who married their daughter Kelly two years ago is a perfect match. Ken was moved beyond words.

“I think we have been very blessed to have Alex come into my life,” he said.

The next time Alex and Ken are together will be Sept. 10, when son-in-law will give his father-in-law the gift of life.

To follow their journey as Ken prepares for the transplant at Ochsner Hospital, visit their web site akidneyforken.blogspot.com.

You can also get more information on becoming a donor on our Perfect Match page, supporting Robin and Sally-Ann Roberts.

Watch "Quiet Heroes" This Tuesday!!

Hi all,

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekends. I have some exciting news to share with you. A few weeks back, my dear friend Roberta wrote a letter to Sally Ann Roberts, a news reporter for our local television station WWL, telling her about our story and blog.  Some of you may know Sally Ann is the sister of Robin Roberts, co-host of the Good Morning America show. Robin is battling cancer, and Sally Ann is a match for her sister for a bone marrow transplant in the future. In the wake of Katrina, she started a series on the 5:00 p.m. news show every Tuesday called “Quiet Heroes" showcasing ordinary people in the community accomplishing extraordinary feats.  This Tuesday, August 14 she will be telling Ken and Alex’s amazing transplant story and spotlighting this blog. We hope you can watch it and spread the word about living donors and their selflessness.  If you are out of town, you can go to www.wwltv.com where you can watch a live streaming of the news on August 14 at 5:00 p.m Central Time.  The news show is from 5:00 – 5:30 CT and our story will air during the 30 minute broadcast.   

 

Thank you Roberta and all our family and friends for the support, love and prayers you give us. We truly appreciate all of you!!

Until next time may the Lord carry us on our journey,

Pat

THE DATE IS SET!!!

On September 10^th Ken will be receiving the best gift of his entire lifetime – a gift of life from our son-in-law, Alex.  We cannot begin to tell you how GOOD this feels.  Many of you have been faced with illnesses of your own or with your loved ones.  It seems like an emotional roller coaster as you wait for test results, wait for doctor’s appointments, wait for new medicines to hopefully work, and then wait some more.  We have been constantly reminded on this journey how powerful prayer, family and friends are.  You have all gotten us through this so far but now we need you even more.  Send all those prayers to God asking for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery for Ken and Alex.  Ask God to guide the hands of the surgeons and give us all the peace of knowing it is truly in God’s hands. 

Our blog will now follow the weeks leading up to the surgery with guest bloggers who are near and dear to us. They will relate their experiences on this journey. We may even have a video or two that will surprise you.  We will continue to blog through Ken’s surgery and recovery.  And we will continue to honor and promote living donors.  This would never have happened without a young man named Alex choosing to give the greatest gift. 


Until next time may the Lord carry us on our journey,

Pat