Local Facebook Post Leads To Kidney Donation

By Chris Earl, Anchor/Reporter

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By Chris Earl

Story Created: Dec 16, 2009 at 4:43 PM CST

Story Updated: Dec 16, 2009 at 5:34 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS - How far would you go to help out a friend on Facebook?

Would you be willing to donate an organ?

A Cedar Rapids man is scheduled for a kidney transplant tomorrow morning at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Instead of the usual process of getting on the donation list, the recipient's son put out the call on Facebook -- and found a donor.

Nick Etten, 24, of Cedar Rapids may be the ultimate Facebook Friend of 2009.

"I've always felt like - since day one - it's the right thing to do," said Etten, the day before he is allowing surgeons to cut a kidney out of his body.

John Burge has had polycystic kidney disease (PKD) for 16 years. Two years ago, a doctor said eating right and exercising were not enough anymore.

"My doctor said, 'it's time to put you on the wait list', " said John Burge, 50, of Cedar Rapids.

Looking for something, anything to help out, Matthew Burge put out a call on his Facebook page for a new kidney for his dad.

No luck the first time.

On September 18th, Matthew Burge put out a second post.

"I thought let's just try again and Nick responded within the hour," said Burge, 22, of Cedar Rapids. Nick Etten and Matthew Burge met at Kirkwood years before and stayed in touch.

"I'd never met John until I came here for the blood draws the first time," admitted Etten.

"I heard his name a couple of times before but I had never met him," said John Burge.

"Our job is to make sure no federal laws are broken," said Dr. Alan Reed, head of the University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics Transplant Center.

Dr. Alan Reed says it's illegal to buy a kidney.As far he's concerned, there are no laws broken here. He said about 80,000 Americans are waiting on a kidney transplant.

"Clearly people get things out of this," said Dr. Reed. "The act of donating does something for these folks."

Thursday's surgery will definitely do something to Nick Etten and for John Burge.

"I'm a little nervous," said Etten.

On his Facebook page, Matthew Burge said that, on September 14th, he had 'had enough of Facebook!'. Yet, his post, four days later and in need of a kidney donor for his father, is what led to tomorrow.

"I can't thank him enough," Matthew Burge said of his friend. "What he doing is beyond words. "

This disease is genetic. John's late father had it, and his son Matthew is also at risk. Nick Etten admitted some family members are concerned for his safety but he says he's ready to go with tomorrow's surgery.

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