Giving the Gift of Life:
Health Story

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, April 9 and July 2, 2006
Show 311

In the US alone, more than 52,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant. Health Corner visits the Skwor brothers in a small town in Wisconsin.  Phillip desperately needs a kidney and will receive the gift of one from his brother, Andrew. Newly married, Phil has had kidney disease since he was a child, but the disease suddenly takes a turn for the worse. Healthy kidneys remove waste and maintain the body's fluid and chemical levels. When Phil went on dialysis, Andy quickly stepped in to help. "I really wanted the opportunity to give him a better life," says Andy who was always close to his brother. When surgeon Dr. Hans Sollinger tested the brothers' antigens for compatibility, he found six antigens out of six tested were identical. "Compatibility was excellent," he says. The transplant was very successful. About 63 people receive a transplant every day in the US. "I am thankful for the gift of life, and the support of family and friends," says a truly grateful Phil.