TL;DR
Get health and wellness essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
Ray Vetuskey of Webster, New York, is marking what would have been the 100th birthday of the kidney his mother donated to him in 1978, when he was 16. The kidney is still functioning, and URochester Medicine says Vetuskey is the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history.
Ray Vetuskey is marking the 100th birthday of the kidney his mother, Betty, donated to him when he was 16, nearly 48 years after surgeons at Rochester’s Strong Hospital transplanted it in March 1978. The kidney is still functioning, and a URochester Medicine transplant director said Vetuskey is the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in the hospital’s history.
Vetuskey, who lives in Webster, New York, began having health problems as a teenager. He told WHEC that doctors found his kidneys were not working and placed him on dialysis, but his condition did not improve. A transplant became his remaining treatment option. His mother, Betty Vetuskey, then 52, offered to donate one of her kidneys.
The surgery took place at Strong Hospital in March 1978. Vetuskey still has a calendar from that month with the operation circled, along with a date for a Genesis concert. He recalled that he and his mother were on gurneys holding hands before surgery. She told him not to worry, he said, because she had a concert to attend and did not intend to miss it. The transplant succeeded, and Vetuskey says he made it to the show and still has the ticket stub.
According to WHEC, Vetuskey now visits Strong Hospital once a year for a check-up. Betty has died, but her son says he thinks of her every day. He has also had a star named after her through the National Star Registry. The report says transplant doctors believe the kidney could last for the rest of his life, though no specific prognosis or expected duration was provided.
A Transplant Still Working After 48 Years
Vetuskey’s account draws attention to the long-term impact of living donation: one person’s decision gave her son a chance to live beyond kidney failure, and the donated organ has continued to function for decades. The outcome is far longer than the 15-to-20-year typical lifespan for a living-donor kidney cited by Dr. Miklos Molnar, director of Transplant Medical Services at URochester Medicine. That figure is a general estimate, not a prediction for an individual recipient.
The story also connects a personal milestone with continuing demand for transplants. WHEC reported that about 500 people in the region are waiting for a kidney, with hundreds more awaiting other organ transplants. Those figures underscore why donor registration remains a public issue, while Vetuskey’s experience is one individual case and does not indicate what another recipient should expect.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The 1978 Donation and Its Legacy
Vetuskey grew up in Seabreeze as the youngest of five children. In the WHEC report, he remembered his mother as well known and loved in the neighborhood. When he needed a transplant, he said, her decision to donate came naturally: she would have done anything she could to help him.
Molnar told WHEC that the connection between a mother and son has both biological and emotional dimensions, including shared DNA and their relationship. The report identifies Vetuskey as the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history. Molnar described the record as applying to the hospital’s program and said he believed it was also a personal record in his experience.
The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network said 72% of people locally are registered donors, according to WHEC. The organization encourages more people to consider registration. The report says people older than 16 can sign up, choose which organs and tissues they wish to donate, and change or withdraw their registration later.
““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
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What Doctors Have Not Specified
The report does not give a medical explanation for why Betty’s kidney has continued to function for nearly 48 years, or a more specific estimate of how long it may keep working. Molnar’s comments about a typical living-donor kidney lifespan provide general context, not a case-specific forecast. The report also does not detail Vetuskey’s current kidney function beyond saying the organ is still working and that he receives annual check-ups.
The comparison with other transplant recipients is limited to Strong Hospital’s history, as described by Molnar and WHEC. The available source does not provide independent records or broader national data to establish how Vetuskey’s experience compares with every kidney transplant recipient elsewhere.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Annual Checks and Donor Decisions
Vetuskey is expected to continue his annual check-ups at Strong Hospital; the report gives no further scheduled milestone or new treatment plan. His doctors believe the donated kidney could last for the rest of his life, but its future function remains uncertain.
The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network is encouraging residents to consider joining the donor registry. WHEC reported that eligible people can choose which organs or tissues to donate and can revise or withdraw their registration. The organization’s appeal is framed around personal choices and the possibility of helping people awaiting transplants.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Who donated the kidney to Ray Vetuskey?
His mother, Betty Vetuskey, donated one of her kidneys when he was 16. She was 52 at the time.
When did the transplant take place?
Surgeons at Strong Hospital in Rochester performed the transplant in March 1978.
Is the donated kidney still functioning?
Yes. WHEC reported that the kidney is still working nearly 48 years after the transplant. Vetuskey visits Strong Hospital annually for a check-up.
What record is associated with Vetuskey’s transplant?
URochester Medicine transplant director Dr. Miklos Molnar said Vetuskey is the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history.
Can people change their organ donor registration?
According to the WHEC report, people older than 16 can register, select which organs or tissues they wish to donate, and modify or withdraw their registration later.
Source: hn
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
