Transplantation News and Events

SHOW: Today (7:00 AM ET) - NBC

January 6, 2003 Monday

HEADLINE: Patty, Tony and Angela Rushford, David Harper and Dr. Hans Sollinger discuss the results of the transplant operation to give five-year-old Angela one of David's kidneys

ANCHORS: KATIE COURIC; MATT LAUER

KATIE COURIC, co-host:

But first, on Friday we met five-year-old Angela Rushford who was about to receive a kidney transplant from the man who read an ad her parents put in a local newspaper seeking a kidney donation. The surgery took place on Friday and today Angela's recovering. And her donor, David Harper, is looking forward to being released from the hospital. David joins us from the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, along with Angela and her parents, Patty and Tony Rushford and Dr. Hans Sollinger, her surgeon.

Good morning to all of you. Thanks so much for joining us.

Ms. PATTY RUSHFORD: Good morning.

Mr. TONY RUSHFORD: Good morning. Dr. HANS SOLLINGER: Good morning.

Mr. DAVID HARPER: Good morning.

COURIC: OK. Well, let me start with you, David. How are you feeling? I know the surgery took place on Friday. What--how are you feeling this morning?

Mr. HARPER: I feel great. Not as sore. Been up and about for a couple of days now. I feel really well.

COURIC: And Patty, how's little Angela doing?

Ms. RUSHFORD: She's doing great. I can't believe how good she's doing.

COURIC: I know that she's not feeling very talkative this morning. But Angela, can you hear me, sweetie? How are you? How--are you feeling OK this morning? I understand you're a big fan of Barbie so maybe your mom and dad will get you a new Barbie following this operation, what do you think? But she's feeling well and has been able to go--be out and about, Patty? You know, walk around the hospital pretty well?

Ms. RUSHFORD: Oh, she's doing great. I just can't believe how much healthier she looks and she's not even in any pain at all.

COURIC: Meanwhile, David, I know that shortly after the surgery you were able to sort of walk around at least on Saturday and you got to see Angela. Were you able to talk with her at all? And how did you feel when you saw this little girl who you helped immeasurably?

Mr. HARPER: Katie, I don't think there's any words to describe the warm feeling that I had. I actually went up and seen her Friday evening after the surgery. She wasn't really awake to talk, but I got to see her and she just appeared so much different from what she did before the surgery.

COURIC: How so?

Mr. HARPER: Well, her--her color in her skin, she used to have dark circles under her eyes, which were gone. Just her--her whole appearance was difference.

COURIC: And Tony, I know that you were able to see David following the surgery. Tell--what was that like for you?

Mr. RUSHFORD: Yeah. It was--it was emotional. I mean, I felt bad because I didn't want to see him in pain, but I was just relieved that both of them were great and the surgeries went very successful and it was just a--it was just a great feeling.

COURIC: I know that, David, you basically saw this ad in a local newspaper that little Angela's parents had put in saying that she needed a kidney transplant. "Four-year-old girl in desperate need of kidney transplant. Seeking donor with O-positive blood. Will compensate for loss of income." You know, a lot of people are just astounded that you, a complete stranger, would step forward and be willing to help this little girl. I know you're married, your wife's Sheila, and you've got two sons, I understand, a 15-year-old David, a 13-year-old son named Kyle.

Mr. HARPER: Yes, ma'am.

COURIC: Did they think you were out of your mind? What did they think about this?

Mr. HARPER: They were completely supportive from the beginning. My wife, as a matter of fact, encouraged me to call on the ad that evening.

COURIC: Really? Did they have...

Mr. HARPER: Yes.

COURIC: Were they trepidacious at all, were they nervous about your going through this operation at all?

Mr. HARPER: Yes, of course, they were a little nervous, but they said that it'd be the right thing to do and I completely agreed with them. It was the right thing to do.

COURIC: Dr. Sollinger, tell us how both David and Angela are doing this morning from a medical perspective.

Dr. SOLLINGER: I think David is probably going home tomorrow and will come back for a routine visit. He will take pain medication home, but otherwise he will not require any medical care. And as you can see, Angela, despite the fact that she's only two and a half days after major surgery, she is coming along very well. So I'm very happy with both of them. We had a wonderful patient and we had a great kidney to work with.

COURIC: And I know that sometimes there are complications when you transplant an adult kidney into a child. Have any of those complications presented themselves?

Dr. SOLLINGER: No, fortunately, not. And these complications are indeed rare and, as you can see, everything is--is going as we have planned it. And I'm very confident she will leave the hospital within a few days.

COURIC: How--how unusual, Dr. Sollinger, is this that a total stranger comes forward and is willing to give a kidney to a child, or to anyone for that matter?

Dr. SOLLINGER: Katie, it's very unusual and especially in the case of small children. It's such--such a blessing that this occurs once in a while, or has occurred in this case. And it's--it's just something very special. I haven't--I have heard a few times about it, but it's certainly, in my own practice, it's--it's a new--a new occasion.

COURIC: Tony, I know that this has been a pretty tough time financially and emotionally clearly for you and your family. Bills have been piling up, you've been out of work, obviously keeping your fingers crossed that you'd find a--a kidney for your little girl. How will this operation change things? do you think you'll be able to get back on your feet now a little bit better?

Mr. RUSHFORD: Yes, definitely. Definitely. I mean, my wish has come true now. I mean, she's--she's feeling better, Dave's healthy and the surgery went great. So, yeah, it looks like a bright future for us.

COURIC: And Tony, I know that--that in the ad you wrote that you would compensate the donor.

Mr. RUSHFORD: Yeah, he refused all money.

COURIC: I was going to say, has David expressed any interest in that at all?

Mr. RUSHFORD: No, not at all. He's just a--truly a great human being. And I think we should all use him as an example, and the world would just be a much nicer place if there was a lot more David Harpers around.

COURIC: In fact, Patty, what does it mean to you have David Harper donate this kidney to your little girl?

Ms. RUSHFORD: It means everything to me and I still can't believe it. I just feel like it's a dream.

COURIC: Well, we're just--we're so glad.

Ms. RUSHFORD: We love him.

COURIC: I--I'm sure you do. And, David, you really are a pretty remarkable person, so we all say thank you for everything that you've done for this family, and especially for this little girl. David Harper, Angela, Patty, and Tony Rushford and Dr. Hans Sollinger, thank you all so much. And best wishes to everybody, and to Angela for a speedy recovery.

Ms. RUSHFORD: Thank you.

Mr. HARPER: Thank you.

Dr. SOLLINGER: Thank you.

Mr. RUSHFORD: Thank you.

Ms. RUSHFORD: Say bye. Bye.

COURIC: Bye, Angela. That's O--there you go. We got a little wave there. Thanks so much to all of you.

Mr. HARPER: Katie, I would like to tell you though...

Ms. RUSHFORD: Thank you.

Mr. RUSHFORD: Thank you.

MATT LAUER, co-host:

I think they were going to say something there.

COURIC: They were?

LAUER: Go ahead. Go ahead, David.

COURIC: Go ahead. Go ahead.

Mr. HARPER: Tony and I are talking about setting up the Angela Rushford Foundation for matching potential donors with kidney transplant patients. So that'll come into being hopefully some time in the near future.

COURIC: Well that sounds like a wonderful endeavor. Thanks again, you all.

Mr. HARPER: Thank you, Katie.

Dr. SOLLINGER: We'll see you.

Mr. RUSHFORD: Thank you.

Ms. RUSHFORD: Thank you.

COURIC: Wow, as if he hasn't done enough already.

LAUER: Dr--yeah, I know. Dr. Sollinger said to us on Friday that if one out of every 5,000 people came forward like David did the list of people waiting for kidneys would disappear.

COURIC: It's a pretty scary proposition, but obviously he's--he came through with flying colors.

LAUER: Yeah, he's...

COURIC: So maybe that will encourage other people.

LAUER: Sounds like a nice guy.

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