Yorkregion.com - Whitchurch-Stouffville - Neighbour receives the ultimate gift
Neighbour receives the ultimate gift
Whitchurch-Stouffville
May 08, 2008 11:43 PM
By: Jim Thomas
Am I my brother’s keeper?
If this question had been posed to Stouffville’s Cal Knights, the answer would definitely have been yes.
And, indirectly, it was. The 48-year-old father of two, without thought for his own well-being, recently donated a left kidney to an ailing man he barely knew.
The gesture, resulting in surgery April 15 at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, has allowed Serge Kurmashou, also of Stouffville, to be released from thrice-weekly dialyses treatments, performed over the past four years at an Oak Ridges clinic.
“I still can’t believe such a wonderful thing has happened,” said Mr. Kurmashou, a native of Belarus. “Stouffville’s a fantastic community, filled with fantastic people.”
Cal and Wanda Knights learned of their neighbour’s health problem through son Joel, a friend of Serge and Anya’s son Vlad, both former classmates at Stouffville District Secondary School.
Cal then contacted Serge and learned he was already on the kidney transplant list.
But the list was long, with demands far exceeding donors. Cal decided to act.
“It was God’s idea,” he said. “I talked it over with wife Wanda and later with our kids, Erin and Joel.
“We wanted our children to know. We didn’t want them to be nervous”.
He then approached Serge. His answer was yes.
Over a period of two years, a series of tests followed, making sure both blood types were compatible.
Everything was, a match described by Wanda as a miracle.
Since Cal and Wanda and Serge and Anya attend EastRidge Evangelical Missionary Church, their pastors, Lou Geense and Tim Soukup, were immediately informed. The congregation, however, wasn’t told until later.
“Prayers were continuous,” Cal said. “We sought confirmation all along the way.”
Pastor Soukup accompanied Cal and Wanda to the hospital and remained until surgery was complete. Pastor Geense, although on vacation, kept in touch.
Wanda also voiced appreciation to management and staff at the Christian Blind Mission on Stouffville Road for prayers and support.
The operation, performed by Dr. John Honey, went amazingly well, Cal said. Serge, the kidney recipient, was in a room only a few doors down the hall.
The transfer was immediate and so was the result.
“I could tell it was working,” Serge said, “I felt so much better.”
He remained in hospital seven days. Cal was released in six.
Cal and Serge said they received total co-operation from management and employees where they work.
Cal is a project manager for a computer company in Markham. Serge is a maintenance technician at Novopharm in Stouffville.
“It was God’s plan,” Cal said. “It was what he wanted me to do. It was never a question of why, but why not?
He said he wished only for Serge to enjoy a better quality of life.
Serge and Anya Kurmashou arrived in Canada seven years ago, living in Mississauga before moving to Stouffville.
“Never in my life have I met anyone like Cal,” Serge said. “The whole family, his wife and children, too, are unbelievable.
He said while they lived only a short distance away, he never considered themselves close friends, only neighbours.
He described the Knights as “wonderful people in a wonderful town”.
An older brother traveled from Belarus to Stouffville just to say thanks.
“He couldn’t believe it, either,” Serge said.
Serge hopes to return to Novopharm this summer. Cal expects to be back at his job in four weeks.
Cal says while live kidney transplants are rare, people could greatly ease the shortage by signing donor cards.
Wanda claims she’s not surprised at her husband’s decision to give part of himself to help someone else.
“He’s the kindest man one could ever know”.
Jim Thomas is a Stouffville resident who has written for area newspapers for more than 50 years.