Kidney Donation Bonds Two New Island Friends

Louisa Hufstader Thursday, October 26 2023 - 3:19pm

Mark Rasmussen of West Tisbury had two good kidneys, and wanted to give one away. Brad Hill of Edgartown was facing death without a kidney transplant. Near-strangers a year ago, the two men are now recovering from surgery, with one of Mr. Rasmussen’s healthy kidneys on the job for each of them.

Mark Rasmussen of West Tisbury had two good kidneys, and wanted to give one away. Brad Hill of Edgartown was facing death without a kidney transplant.

Near-strangers a year ago, the two men are now recovering from surgery last week, with one of Mr. Rasmussen’s healthy kidneys on the job for each of them.

“He’s a great guy and he saved my life,” Mr. Hill told the Gazette by phone on Wednesday.

Mr. Hill has a long recovery ahead, including trips to Boston every other day for the next two months so doctors can monitor his progress, he said. But the prognosis is good, and he expects to be back on the job by the end of November at his fitness studio, Vineyard Training Center in Vineyard Haven, Mr. Hill said.

“I’ll start slow, and get back to normal,” he said.

Mr. Rasmussen told the Gazette he was inspired by the example of Oak Bluffs businessman Michael DeBettencourt, who in 2018 donated a kidney to Tony daRosa, Mr. DeBettencourt’s father in law.

“I’d love to put a shout-out specifically to Michael. We have discussed this for years, me doing this,” Mr. Rasmussen said in a phone interview.

“I just was inspired . . . that perhaps this is something I could do for somebody else,” he said. “My family has known that I’ve wanted to do this for a while.”

The process wasn’t simple. Mr. Rasmussen had to address his own health needs, including knee surgery and a year of recovery, before doctors would admit him to the Brigham and Women’s Hospital kidney transplant program in late 2022.

“I was going to donate altruistically to someone up at Brigham. I wouldn’t know the recipient,” he said.

Suffering from renal failure, Mr. Hill already was on the registry to receive a kidney at Brigham and Women’s, where the world’s first successful human organ transplant — a kidney — was performed in 1954.

But the two men connected instead through an Island social media post by Mr. Hill’s daughter Erin last November, Mr. Rasmussen said.

“My daughter Lila Norris saw that post on the day it was put up, and she kicked it to me and said ‘Here, you may be interested in contacting Brad Hill,’” he recalled.

“Shortly after that, I poked my nose into his place of business and told him I was his man . . . if we were a match,” Mr. Rasmussen said. “I was willing to be his donor if it all worked out.”

Nothing like this had ever happened to Mr. Hill before, he told the Gazette.

“I was very shocked [and] I was very happy. I said ‘Yes, if it’s a match, I would love to take it,” Mr. Hill said.

Once lab work proved they were indeed compatible, one delay remained. Mr. Rasmussen, an Island property manager, needed to work through the summer before taking time off for surgery and recovery.

“I look after too many homes [and] there’s too much activity during the season for me to be down,” he said. “We agreed on the fall.”

On Oct. 19, the two men underwent transplant surgery at Brigham and Women’s.

“We both gave each other a big hug before we went to our respective [operating rooms],” Mr. Rasmussen said.

They also saw each other after the operation, he said.

“He was in good shape. I was in good shape. We’ve stayed in touch every day since,” said Mr. Rasmussen, who was discharged on Oct. 20 while Mr. Hill remained until Oct. 24.

The two were reunited the following day when Mr. Rasmussen stopped by Mr. Hill’s home in Edgartown.

“He feels like my brother,” Mr. Hill said.

Mr. Rasmussen’s life-saving gift is also a tribute to a friend who died last summer, he told the Gazette this week.

“His name was John Henry Patterson,” Mr. Rasmussen said, breaking into tears as he spoke the name. “He was an amazing individual... and people should remember him as well,” he said.

Comments

This is remarkable! A

Jane Rossi West Tisbury

This is remarkable! A selfless gift that created an unbreakable friendship. Beautiful.

I know them both to be

T Ewell Hopkins (he/him) Oak Bluffs

I know them both to be amazing individuals full of love.

Peace and blessings - Mark and Brad

Two wonderful guys and a

Pamela Flam Katama

Two wonderful guys and a great story!

What a great story. I used

Andrea Lohmiller Barstow Georgia

What a great story. I used to train with Brad way back in the late 1980's. So good to know that he will soon be back at it again. Best of luck to both of you!

Thank you for sharing such an

Pamela Dolby Edgartown

Thank you for sharing such an incredible story! My best to both of you and your families.

Brad is one of the most

Tuna Kiersted Edgartown

Brad is one of the most cherished people on the island…so kind, giving and just a wonderful person and friend. Thank you for saving our dear soul.

Incredible! I’ve met both of

Amy Upton West Tisbury

Incredible! I’ve met both of these men on island over the years and know them to be admirable humans. This story renews my faith in humanity. Thank you, and may we all be inspired by such genuine decency among men.

This is the Island I love and

Joanne Philbrick Norwich CT

This is the Island I love and miss. What an inspiring story. Although I do not know Mr.Rasmusen, I can clearly remember Brad Hill. I watched him grow up, face his challenges and become the successful, kind and loving man that he is. Good things come to those that wait. You have given each other the gift of life. Two strangers who met and changed their course of history. Here's to decades more of health and happiness to you both.

That’s wonderful.

R Scott Patterson Edgartown

That’s wonderful.

I was discharged from MASSGEN

Carmel Johns MVY

I was discharged from MASSGEN on 10/18/23 with the gift of a kidney.
It was donated by the family of a person who was dying. We waited for
the heart to stop.
5 1/2 years of waiting on the list. 2 1/2years of hemodialysis. Isolation and mask wearing to stay healthy for a possible transplant.
It is working. I have a future. And a grandchild to spend it with. So many dying daily. Please sign up to donate. Health to you Brad. Thank you Mark.

Miracles happen every day!

Linda Whittle Boston

Miracles happen every day! Thank you Mark for saving Brad's life. He was my personal trainer for several summers. Brad is the kindest man ever! I know he would have donated a kidney to anyone in need himself! Stay strong; you can both get through anything as Kidney brothers now!

Blessings to both of you and

Elaine C. Carroll McLean, Virginia. & Vineyard Haven

Blessings to both of you and praying for success! This story touched my heart. I am a kidney dialysis patient too, today is another day of dialysis for me. The story gives me hope! I have been trying go home to MV, BUT…0nly 3!!! Chairs for dialysis at MV Hospital! Full all summer with summer people.!! Will they add more???? Is the question, hopefully! I hope Brad’s story brings this to light! I would love to go home!!! Elaine C Carroll

There is an open chair as of

Carmel Johns MVY

There is an open chair as of 10/14!
And MV residents have priority over summer residents.

There’s two open chairs on M

Tim DeFelice Oak Bluffs

There’s two open chairs on M-W-F right now in the afternoon. I’ve been doing treatments by myself for about 3 weeks.

This is a wonderful story, a

Alec Walsh Chilmark

This is a wonderful story, a story that renews our faith in the essential goodness of people. Mark is a wonderful man, someone we have known for years. He ihas always been competent and kind but this gift of life that he has made to Brad leaves us breathless.

Mark - our admiration for you knows no bounds.

Mark Rasmussen, left, stands with Brad Hill as the two recover from a kidney transplant.

Kidney Donation Bonds Two New Island Friends

Comments

This is remarkable! A

I know them both to be

Two wonderful guys and a

What a great story. I used

Thank you for sharing such an

Brad is one of the most

Incredible! I’ve met both of

This is the Island I love and

That’s wonderful.

I was discharged from MASSGEN

Miracles happen every day!

Blessings to both of you and

There is an open chair as of

There’s two open chairs on M

This is a wonderful story, a

Two Good Men,,Very Nice Story

What makes us an even more

So happy for you Brad

Thank you Mr.Rasmussen!Brad

Thank you Mr. Rasmussen for

What a heartwarming story.

i love this story. mark's

Just what we all need:

This is wonderful to read,

GOD BLESS YOU BOTH

Love and blessings to two

That's Mark.....give, give,

Brad so happy to here about

what a wonderful gift from

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