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Terrell man receives the gift of life
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| Karl and Christy Sigler |
By Tricia Scruggs: reporter@terrelltribune.com
For Karl and Christy Sigler, Christmas came early.
On Dec. 8, one year after being diagnosed with kidney failure, Karl received what certainly everyone on the long transplant waiting list hopes for – a perfect match.
However the blessing was bittersweet, resulting from the sudden death of a family member.
“It was just very emotional,” Christy said.
In October 2007, during a bout with pneumonia, doctors discovered that Karl’s body wasn’t functioning properly. Initially, he said, there didn’t seem to be cause for concern since, as a diabetic, it’s not uncommon for tests to reveal higher than normal levels of creatine, an acid produced in the liver and kidneys.
But Karl was immediately ordered to undergo dialysis and placed amongst the thousands who need kidney and pancreas transplants.
“They said the wait for a kidney alone was like four to five years, so I was in it for the long haul,” he said.
But just days before his brother, Jeff, his only sibling, was scheduled for testing to determine whether or not he would be a viable donor, their mother’s sister passed away in Tyler.
Family members asked Karl if he wanted doctors to test her. After contemplating the possibility, he said yes and within 48 hours was on the road to recovery with a new kidney that went to work right away.
“I feel a whole lot better,” he said. “We were a perfect match, which is unusual. She would be proud.”
The operation was such a success that Karl no longer is on dialysis, something he says is uncommon for transplant recipients who often need a few more treatments while their body adjusts to the new organ.
For months, three times each week, the couple had been making the trip to Mesquite for dialysis sessions, which generally lasted three to four hours. Their lives changed drastically in the aftermath of the diagnosis, affecting where they could go, the people with whom they could interact and placing Karl on a strict diet.
“We made do but it was tough,” he said, adding that he went a year without pizza and subsisted on a limited variety of food, like plain Cheerios and flavored water.
“He does things by the book,” Christy said. “He didn’t eat things he couldn’t have. He didn’t cheat. He did the program.”
The Siglers say they are grateful to the whole community which has really been behind them, supporting their fundraising dinners and garage sales. They are paying for all the medication out-of-pocket and with insurance but use donations to cover the continuous flow of costly medical bills.
Sometimes their fundraisers don’t yield much, but then cash from anonymous donors more than once has shown up in Karl’s benefit savings account at Lone Star Credit Union.
For that and the kind gestures - like having their lawn mowed and pets looked after - the Siglers are thankful.
“Several businesses and individuals, family and friends, and people we don’t even know, have supported us all the way through,” Karl said.
On Dec. 8, one year after being diagnosed with kidney failure, Karl received what certainly everyone on the long transplant waiting list hopes for – a perfect match.
However the blessing was bittersweet, resulting from the sudden death of a family member.
“It was just very emotional,” Christy said.
In October 2007, during a bout with pneumonia, doctors discovered that Karl’s body wasn’t functioning properly. Initially, he said, there didn’t seem to be cause for concern since, as a diabetic, it’s not uncommon for tests to reveal higher than normal levels of creatine, an acid produced in the liver and kidneys.
But Karl was immediately ordered to undergo dialysis and placed amongst the thousands who need kidney and pancreas transplants.
“They said the wait for a kidney alone was like four to five years, so I was in it for the long haul,” he said.
But just days before his brother, Jeff, his only sibling, was scheduled for testing to determine whether or not he would be a viable donor, their mother’s sister passed away in Tyler.
Family members asked Karl if he wanted doctors to test her. After contemplating the possibility, he said yes and within 48 hours was on the road to recovery with a new kidney that went to work right away.
“I feel a whole lot better,” he said. “We were a perfect match, which is unusual. She would be proud.”
The operation was such a success that Karl no longer is on dialysis, something he says is uncommon for transplant recipients who often need a few more treatments while their body adjusts to the new organ.
For months, three times each week, the couple had been making the trip to Mesquite for dialysis sessions, which generally lasted three to four hours. Their lives changed drastically in the aftermath of the diagnosis, affecting where they could go, the people with whom they could interact and placing Karl on a strict diet.
“We made do but it was tough,” he said, adding that he went a year without pizza and subsisted on a limited variety of food, like plain Cheerios and flavored water.
“He does things by the book,” Christy said. “He didn’t eat things he couldn’t have. He didn’t cheat. He did the program.”
The Siglers say they are grateful to the whole community which has really been behind them, supporting their fundraising dinners and garage sales. They are paying for all the medication out-of-pocket and with insurance but use donations to cover the continuous flow of costly medical bills.
Sometimes their fundraisers don’t yield much, but then cash from anonymous donors more than once has shown up in Karl’s benefit savings account at Lone Star Credit Union.
For that and the kind gestures - like having their lawn mowed and pets looked after - the Siglers are thankful.
“Several businesses and individuals, family and friends, and people we don’t even know, have supported us all the way through,” Karl said.
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| Terrell High School |
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