February 22nd: 35th Anniversary and Thank you Tom

I copied part of this blog from 2015. It was written by Linda and Pat, one of her 4 brothers willing to give her a kidney.. It's hard to understand where the time goes. We continue to live a wonderful life thanks to Linda's brother Tom. Linda has now lived longer with Tom's kidney than with her own!

Sunday February 22: Happy Kidney Day!! (written 2/22/2015)

As it does every year, February 22nd has rolled around again. 30 times this day had rolled around since 1985.

30 times I have called my brother to see how his remaining kidney is doing :-)

30 times we have formally celebrated one more year of a successful transplant.

In year 10, we had a party. I was somewhat leery of having an actual celebration - you know - jinxing and all of that stuff.

So now we just continue to be grateful to my brother Tom for his gift. And we both continue to monitor the health of my other brothers. Just kidding - although they all seem to be holding in there quite well!

Tom retired recently. This is what my brother Pat posted on Facebook:

After 37 years as a surgeon on the Navajo reservation in northern Arizona, my brother, Tom, has retired.

What began as a two-year stint turned into a life of service to the Navajo and Hopi. A comment by a cohort to a photo post of Tom as a much younger man earlier last year presented a good summation of his work:

"Who would have guessed on that day that Tom would someday be a legendary surgeon, known among other surgeons as "The Master"? That he would work tirelessly for years, taking call every other night or every third night for years, and do so cheerfully and with humor? That he would follow two legendary surgeons, and surpass them? That he would have been a superstar in any venue, but he found his home on the Navajo (reservation)? That he would retire as a CAPT in the US Public Health Service? That he would recognize a hereditary bowel cancer in Navajos and call in the experts from the CDC, a significant scientific contribution? I have a dear friend, a Harvard-trained surgeon, double-boarded in Anesthesia and Surgery, who thinks Tom Drouhard WALKS ON WATER. . . and there are a whole lotta people who feel and think that way about him."

Just count Steve and me as two more who feel and think that way about him.....

I also included a few memorable and fun pictures. The first picture is Linda, her four brothers and parents. All four brothers were willing to give Linda a kidney, Tom and Pat were the acceptable matches.

Back left to right: Tom, Pat, Linda, Warren and Dick
Front: Warren and Leona

Tom with Wendy and Rebecca about the time of the transplant

Tom and Linda's Mom, Leona

Tom & and Leona during construction of Sagamore Hills house

Tom and Leona - our new home in Sagamore Hills

Linda's parents were the best in-laws ever. It was always fun to come to the farm. They obviously did a great job as parents having raised four sons willing to give Linda a kidney.

Tom, Leona and Warren at the farm

Tom with one of his many
rescue dogd

Leona and Tom enjoying our trawler
on Lake Erie

Wendy, Tom, Linda, Rebecca Steve and Matt - Oceanside CA

Tom's California T-shirt souvenir

Tom walking to the Oceanside train station after spending Thanksgiving with us.

Linda and Tom during our trip to Banff National Park

Linda and Tom at their favorite Perrysville Dairy

Thanks again Tom, not just for the kidney, but also for your sense of humor, generosity, enriching our lives and always being there when we need a medical opinion.