Plano resident to receive Gift of Life award

Kim Nguyen

knguyen@acnpapers.com

The National Kidney Foundation Serving North Texas will honor local individuals on the giving and receiving end of organ donation at the 2009 Gift of Life Gala Nov. 7.

Plano resident Christine Brauss will receive the Gift of Life award as a two-time kidney transplant recipient and tireless community advocate.

"With all the different awards and recognitions I've received over the years, I am extremely honored to receive this one," she said. "It's a huge honor."

Brauss' journey with organ donation began when she was diagnosed with renal failure at age 6.

"Back then, when a kidney was failing, doctors just took it out," she said. "It amazes me how far medicine has evolved since then."

At 21, Brauss said more problems began arising.

"I had high blood pressure and eventually lost my remaining kidney. I went on three years of dialysis after that," she said. "That's when my mom had enough and said that I was too young to live on a machine and tested to be a kidney donor."

Brauss' mother, Patti Martin, tested a three out of six for a match - meaning that Martin's kidney would work as a donor to Brauss but might require more anti-rejection drugs and other drugs to support growth.

"I was fine after that and my mother's kidney lasted 12 years before I lost it," Brauss said. "The doctors said the anti-rejection medications had been toxic to the new kidney."

In 1996, Brauss received a second kidney, donated by her brother. Tests showed that her brother tested a six out of six match.

"My sister needed me; she called, and given the history, I knew what she was up against," said Fred Martin. "I love my sister so dearly that there was never a hesitation when she needed me."

Since the surgery, both brother and sister have been in good health and served as advocates for organ donation and transplant surgery.

"It's very important to spread awareness because organ transplants save lives," Martin said. "The gift of life to anybody is indescribable and a wonderful thing."

Brauss and Martin also work together to organize a yearly golf tournament to raise funds for the National Kidney Foundation Serving North Texas' Camp Reynal, a camp for children with kidney disease.

"I am proud to be able to do what I do with the National Kidney Foundation, with and in honor of my sister," Martin said. "When I go to places and my donation is brought up, it's always received in a positive and good light. There are so many success stories, and my sister is just one of them."

Though she hasn't received it yet, Brauss said the Gift of Life award has encouraged her to be more active in the community to continue promoting and spreading awareness of organ donation and transplantation.

"Lots of lives can be saved through transplantation, especially those who suffer from kidney failure," she said. "Many people don't realize that we can live on just one kidney."

Brauss said she is always surprised to consider how far the medical industry has evolved during her 30 years of experience in and out of hospitals. The medicine is better, the treatment is better and the doctors in the field are better, but above all, Brauss said she is impressed with how quickly transplant surgery is performed.

"The actual surgery has changed immensely," she said. "It's not as intense and invasive as before. Plus there's a shorter recovery time."

From the organ donor's perspective, Martin said he wants to also continue promoting donation and transplantation.

"There are no cons aside from the medical procedure when it comes to organ donation," Martin said. "There are some health specifications that may keep someone from being an organ donor, but that's something you can't control. It's just a matter of the conscious decision to do something and save a life."

Martin said the testing process for determining donor eligibility is relatively short and non-invasive.

"The blood test itself does not take very long, but there is a lot of psychological work up to the surgery itself," he said. "Other than that, it's maintaining your physical health and well-being."

The waiting period to determine donor eligibility is typically a few months, Brauss said.

"It's a detailed process that requires a lot of paperwork and thought," she said. "But it's definitely worth it in the end. I would probably not be here if it weren't for my mother and brother donating their kidneys."

Brauss is a member of the board of directors of the National Kidney Foundation Serving North Texas and also contributes her time, talent and donations to the NRP, Women's Board of the Dallas Opera, Maestro Society (DSO), Genesis Women's Shelter, Crystal Charity Ball, Wish with Wings, Operation Kindness, Paws Cause, Fur Ball, Essential Energy and Wednesday's Child. She is a founding family member of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, a lifetime member of Kidney Texas and served as honorary chairman of Kidney Texas from 2004-2005.

The National Kidney Foundation Serving North Texas' 2009 Gift of Life Gala will take place Nov. 7 at the Northwood Club, located at 6524 Alpha Road in Dallas. The black-tie optional evening will feature dinner, dancing to the music of "America's Got Talent" finalist Paul Salos and the Let's Dance Orchestra, live auction and a special award presentation honoring those who have been instrumental in advancing the cause of both the National Kidney Foundation Serving North Texas and organ transplantation.

Individual seat reservations for the Gift of Life Gala start at $250 each and table reservations range from $2,500 to $25,000. For reservations or information on sponsorships, please contact Julie Larson, regional vice president of the National Kidney Foundation Serving North Texas, at 214-351-2393 or julie.larson@kidney.org.

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