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Ray Vetuskey, of Webster, New York, is marking what would have been the 100th birthday of the kidney his mother donated to him when he was 16. The kidney, transplanted in March 1978, is still functioning 48 years later, making Vetuskey the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history, according to the hospital’s transplant medical services director.
Ray Vetuskey, a Webster, New York, man who received a kidney from his mother as a teenager, is celebrating what would have been the organ’s 100th birthday. The kidney was transplanted in March 1978, when Vetuskey was 16, and remains functional 48 years later, according to a report by WHEC and a transplant specialist at URochester Medicine.
Vetuskey developed serious health problems as a teenager. He told WHEC that doctors found his kidneys were not working and put him on dialysis, but his condition did not improve. A transplant became his remaining option. His mother, Betty Vetuskey, then 52, offered one of her kidneys to him.
Surgeons performed the transplant at Strong Hospital in March 1978. Vetuskey has kept a calendar from that month, with the surgery date circled, as well as a ticket stub from a Genesis concert he attended afterward. He recalled that he and his mother were on gurneys before the operation, holding hands, when she told him not to worry because she had a concert to attend and would not miss it.
Betty has since died. Vetuskey told WHEC that he thinks of her every day and says he had a star named after her through a national star registry. He now visits Strong Hospital for an annual check-up. Doctors believe the transplanted kidney could last for the rest of his life, though that is a medical expectation, not a guarantee.
A Transplant Still Working After 48 Years
The case stands out because the kidney has continued functioning far longer than the 15-to-20-year typical lifespan cited by transplant medical services director Dr. Miklos Molnar for a living-donor kidney. Molnar said Vetuskey is the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history. He added that, in his view, the case is exceptional within the program and in his own experience.
The story also puts a local face on the need for organ donors. WHEC reported that about 500 people in the region are waiting for a kidney transplant, with hundreds more waiting for other organ transplants. The numbers describe the reported local waiting list; they do not establish how many people might receive an organ from any one donor.
Vetuskey’s experience illustrates the potential impact of living donation and transplantation, but it should not be taken as a typical outcome. His kidney’s unusually long function is a specific case, while transplant outcomes and waiting times vary. The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network is encouraging people to consider registering as donors.
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How Betty’s Donation Changed His Life
Vetuskey grew up in Seabreeze as the youngest of five children. He described his mother as well loved in the neighborhood and recalled her immediate willingness to donate. “I don’t think she gave it two thoughts,” he told WHEC, reflecting that she would have done anything she could to help him.
The operation connected a family decision with a major medical intervention: after dialysis failed to restore his kidney function, a transplant gave Vetuskey another chance at life. He remembers the day through the calendar and concert ticket he kept. He told WHEC that the ticket is still in his possession and that he did make it to the show after surgery.
Molnar said the relationship between a mother and son can carry both biological and emotional meaning in a living-donor transplant. The report does not provide details about the transplant’s medical course over the intervening decades or explain what monitoring and treatment have contributed to the kidney’s continued function.
“Every day I think of her, doesn’t a day go by…She’s right by my side, all the time.”
— Ray Vetuskey, speaking to WHEC
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What Doctors Have Not Detailed
The report does not give a precise birth date for the kidney or explain how the 100th birthday was calculated. It identifies the organ’s age as 100 and the transplant as having taken place in March 1978, but provides no further detail about that calculation.
It is also unclear what clinical factors have helped the kidney continue functioning, what its current measurements are, or what criteria support doctors’ expectation that it could last for the rest of Vetuskey’s life. That outlook is not a guarantee. The report does not provide a new statement from Vetuskey’s doctors on his specific prognosis or medical status beyond the annual check-up and the kidney’s continued function.
The regional waiting-list figures are attributed to the WHEC report, which does not give a date for the underlying count. They should be read as reported local figures, not as a current national total or a precise count of people who could be helped by any single donation.
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Annual Monitoring and Donor Registration
Vetuskey is expected to continue receiving annual check-ups at Strong Hospital, according to the report. Doctors believe the kidney may continue functioning for the rest of his life, while its future performance will remain subject to ongoing medical assessment.
The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network is asking people to consider registering as organ donors. WHEC reported that people older than 16 can sign up, choose which organs and tissues they wish to donate, and change or withdraw their registration later. People interested in registration can check the network’s official information for current instructions and eligibility details.
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Key Questions
Who received the kidney?
Ray Vetuskey, who lives in Webster, New York, received a kidney from his mother as a teenager.
When was the transplant performed?
Surgeons at Strong Hospital transplanted the kidney in March 1978, when Vetuskey was 16.
Is the donated kidney still working?
Yes. The WHEC report says it is still functioning 48 years after the transplant. Vetuskey has annual check-ups, and doctors believe it could last for the rest of his life, though that is not guaranteed.
How unusual is a kidney transplant lasting this long?
URochester Medicine transplant medical services director Dr. Miklos Molnar told WHEC that a living-donor kidney typically lasts 15 to 20 years. He described Vetuskey as the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history.
Can people register to donate organs?
WHEC reported that people older than 16 can register through the relevant donor system and can specify which organs or tissues they wish to donate. Registrants can also change or withdraw their choices. Check the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network for current registration guidance.
Source: hn
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