Ex-wife gives very special gift

Jerry and Cindy Sellers were married for nine years, divorced, have two teenage sons but still share something very personal -- a kidney.

When Jerry suffered renal failure two years ago, the 62-year-old former high school football coach from Myrtle Beach went on dialysis and was on the waiting list for a transplant.

As his condition worsened, his ex-wife asked if there was anything she could do to help. His answer was, "Sure, how about give me one of your kidneys."

Much to his surprise, she said yes, absolutely.

"Turned out we were a perfect match," said Cindy, 41. "What are the odds?"

Vice versa?

The Sellers underwent the transplant surgeries last week at the Medical University of South Carolina and both are doing well.

But their situation begs the question that every divorced person is now asking themselves -- would my "ex" donate a kidney for me? Or vice versa?

Turns out, it depends.

Jerry and Cindy worked out their differences years ago and still live together in the same house for the sake of their sons, 16-year-old Colin and 14-year-old Zach.

"Jerry is the most loving, precious, beautiful person on the inside," said Cindy, who is recovering at home in Myrtle Beach. "It's too bad our marriage didn't work. But once we got over the divorce, there's nothing he wouldn't do for me or I wouldn't do for him."

That became quite obvious when Cindy volunteered to undergo a pretty rough surgical procedure to save her ex-husband's life.

"We decided we weren't going to sacrifice our children for our selfish reasons," Cindy said.

Ultimate gift

On Monday, Jerry was recovering nicely at MUSC and looking forward to returning home.

"We get along very well," Jerry said as he went through post-surgical treatments. "But she did it strictly for the boys, which I'm grateful for.

"I know I feel better than she does right now. The surgery is tougher on the donor than the recipient. Needless to say, we have a unique situation."

Dr. Ken Chavin removed Cindy's organ and marvels at the relationship that allows any living donor to give such a gift.

"This is the ultimate gift by anyone, whether it's a good Samaritan, a relative or an unrelated person," Chavin said. "To subject yourself to an unnecessary operation for the health and well being of another individual is the ultimate sacrifice."

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At the MUSC Transplant Center, such medical marvels happen several hundred times a year, which changes and saves lives here in South Carolina.

For the Sellers, it was an opportunity to alter the future for themselves and their children.

"What good is it to have my children walking the earth with a broken heart because they don't have their daddy, knowing there was something I could have done?" Cindy said. "I don't regret it at all. I'm happy to do it for my kids."

Reach Ken Burger at kburger@postandcourier.com or 937-5598.