November 27, 2006 in City

Kidney swap connects two pairs of brothers

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GREAT FALLS – When Layne Smith, of Seattle, needed a kidney, brother Gary in Missoula was ready to give it – until tests showed he was not a match.

About the same time, two brothers in Yakima found themselves in the same dilemma.

An enterprising transplant coordinator at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle brought them together in a cross match.

Layne, 52, and brother Gary, 55, are recovering from the first double live kidney swap performed at Swedish Medical Center. They say they’re ahead of the recovery schedule; so are the men who now share a connection with them for life.

The Smith brothers grew up in Great Falls, graduated from Great Falls High School and later from the University of Montana. Gary is a financial planner with Edward Jones in Missoula. Layne is a certified public accountant in Seattle.

“There was never a question in my mind that I would donate a kidney for Layne,” Gary told the Great Falls Tribune for a story published Sunday.

When the brothers were matched with strangers for the double transplant, his wife, Kara, and their children fully supported him, Gary added.

The recipient of Gary’s kidney was Jason Baum, a 34-year-old father of two girls, age 4 and 5. Layne, who is single, received his new kidney from Jason’s brother, Devin, a 36-year-old factory worker who also is unmarried.

Although they didn’t meet until after the seven-hour surgery, the Smith brothers and the Baums hit it off.

“It touched your heart to see the recipient with two little girls,” Gary said. “It gave me goosebumps to see how this helped two families.”

For the eight weeks before the Oct. 9 transplant, Layne lived without any kidneys. They had become so enlarged that his doctors said it was best to remove them. Each weighed 3 1/2 to 4 pounds. A healthy kidney weighs about 5 ounces.

“After I said my brother would be a willing donor for a family swap, the hospital searched for the right family. They found them in Yakima. Then, more tests,” Layne said.

Finally, they were matched. Layne’s wait for a transplant was six-and-a-half months instead of seven years. Thankful for modern medicine, he felt honored to be getting a new kidney while 70,000 sick Americans wait on the transplant list.

Since the surgery, Layne has been on a medication schedule to bolster his immune system and combat rejection of his new kidney. At first, he was on 13 medications a day; now it’s 10. He follows a heart-healthy diet, with alcohol in moderation. He had blood tests twice a week at first but has scaled that back to once a week.

On doctor’s orders, Layne has been recovering at his Seattle home, away from his office, where colds and flu tend to be passed around this time of year. He’s doing some of his work at home for now.

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