Court House resident once on dialysis got a kidney from a Colorado woman

COURT HOUSE – “I have a kidney with your name on it!” proclaimed Sara Aparicio, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, last year in a Facebook group for those with chronic kidney disease looking for a transplant donor.

With that, the 50-year-old sent a message introducing herself to Eric Springer, of Court House, who was undergoing kidney dialysis three times a week and was hoping for a kidney from a live donor.

The rest is history, as Aparicio tested and matched Springer’s need and, this past April, donated her kidney to the 53-year-old Middle Township High School business teacher. A year to the day from that first message, the duo left their respective hospitals to recover, and both now are living a life changed by a stranger’s goodwill.

“My angel saved me,” a grateful Springer said, choking up. “God had this amazing plan. This woman, who was a stranger, completely changed my life with her donation. It affirmed my faith in God, and I know angels walk among us and miracles do happen.”

Springer, who grew up in Court House and lived locally for most of his life, suffered a medical episode about 15 years ago during which he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. His health slowly worsened, and about two years ago it became very difficult to work or do any activities.

He started dialysis three times a week, for four hours each visit, last April, but in the meantime he began looking for a live donor through social media.

“I had friends, family members try to donate, and it’s a very rigorous process,” he said. “Most of the people didn’t get past the first stage, but six were tested, including my wife. For various reasons, they were rejected. After the sixth person was rejected, I got a message from Sara saying she wanted to donate her kidney to me.”

He admitted he found it “odd” that a stranger would donate an organ to him, but the two began messaging back and forth. “All signs were pointing to an early death, and here this stranger came forward to help me, a chronically sick person in pain,” he said.

Aparicio said, “I never had it in my mind that I would be donating a kidney. I am a realtor in Colorado Springs, and I had met a lender a couple of times who had posted on Facebook that he was looking for a donor because he had chronic kidney disease. He had recently been married, and I sent him a message offering him my kidney. It turned out that a family member had been tested and matched, so he had a good outcome.

“However, I kept reading some of the stories in this Facebook group, and they were heart-wrenching. I saw Eric’s post that he had started dialysis and was looking for a donor. I checked his profile and read about him, his wife and family, and really kept thinking about him. Something about him just grabbed at me. I really believe God was talking to me about donating my kidney to Eric.

“I woke up my husband one night to say I wanted to give Eric my kidney, and we talked about it in the morning. He was very supportive, so I sent Eric a message saying I had a kidney with his name on it. I introduced myself, and then we began the testing process.”

She also had a family meeting with her children, who were supportive as well. “I lost my first husband and son a long time ago, but that has shaped my life in a lot of ways,” Aparicio said. “I know if someone had the opportunity to help them, I would have been so appreciative. I donated in memory of my husband, Michael, and son, Anthony.”

She said she leads a healthy lifestyle, doesn’t drink and exercises by hiking. She had to undergo a number of blood tests, other tests and ultrasounds of her organs over a period of about two months before she was matched to Springer. She was in the hospital for three days for the transplant, and within six weeks, was hiking again.

“Although the surgery is painful, it’s worth it,” Aparicio said. “It warms my heart hearing how Eric is living a much better life now.

“I knew God wanted me to do this. I am so grateful and humbled to be able to have helped him. Now, I consider him like a brother.”

Springer considers Aparicio as a “sister” and calls her his “angel” for giving him back his life. The two are in regular contact and hope to meet in person this fall.

“I feel better physically than I have in years,” he said, “but the biggest impacts have been emotionally and spiritually. I think I have a better perspective on life, and really am focusing on my family and not worrying about the small things.”

For now, Springer continues to be tested regularly to ensure that his body is not rejecting the new kidney, and he will take several drugs for the remainder of his life. The first year is particularly dangerous in terms of his body accepting the transplant, so he will be retiring Oct. 1 after 26 years of teaching at his alma mater, Middle Township High School.

“It was a wonderful 26 years, and I will miss it a lot,” he said. “It was fun teaching my own kids, and my friends’ kids. However, I can’t do anything to compromise my health.”

He has two children, and, coincidentally, his father suffered from chronic kidney failure and received a kidney from a live donor more than a year ago.

Springer described his time waiting for a donor as a “roller coaster ride,” with its ups and downs as people offered to donate and then were found ineligible. “One of my goals once I’ve fully recovered is to educate people about the need for organ donations,” he said. “It’s amazing to me that they took out a kidney in Colorado, flew it to Philadelphia, where I got it that night.

“Generally, there are over 100,000 people on the transplant list, and every year, several hundred die waiting. On average, people are on dialysis for about five years. But the wait for a kidney averages six or seven years. My doctors helped us go through this process and were great. But it’s so vital to get the news out there so people donate.”

Contact the reporter, Karen Knight, at kknight@cmcherald.com.