A Gift Of Life: Orchard Woman Gives Kidney To Stepmother

Nestled between family photos at Gene and Becky Moser’s home in Orchard are building blocks with the word “Family” on them.

That’s fitting considering Candace Moser donated a kidney to her stepmother just days ago, giving her a building block of life that will forever connect them in a way few will ever understand. 

Although both women tried repeatedly not to become emotional when discussing the life-changing surgery that took place on March 10, it was impossible for them to deny the bond they shared before has now become even greater.

“She’s not my stepdaughter; she’s my daughter,” Becky said while wiping a tear. “For her to love me enough to give me the most significant gift is amazing. I don’t know how I can ever thank her. What she did was a miracle.”

Kidney Disease
Polycystic Kidney Disease is genetic and every member of Becky Moser’s family, except one nephew, has the traits. It’s the fourth-leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S. According to the PKD Foundation, it is not treatable or curable. That’s why none of Becky’s biological family could be a donor. 

Her family first became aware of the disease after Becky’s grandfather, Emil Pavlis, died in 1974. Despite knowing she likely had the disease, Becky wasn’t tested for PKD until age 47. Then the day before her 58th birthday - March 11, 2014 - Becky received the news she dreaded for years.

“I went in for my annual blood test and before I even got back to work, the doctor’s office called and said there was a problem,” Becky remembered. “My kidney function was at 20. When you get to 20, they put you on the transplant list.”

Becky said she felt fine, just tired. But inside, her kidneys were slowly shutting down. That’s when she and Gene made the decision to start the process to be put on the list. 

But they still hadn’t told Gene’s daughters - their daughters. It would be nine more months before the girls knew Becky needed a kidney transplant.

Tight-Knit Family
Gene and Becky met on a blind date. She wanted boys, and Gene had five daughters from a previous marriage. Becky soon fell in love with his daughters. Candace, the middle child, was 12 when her dad remarried. By the sixth grade, all five girls were living with Gene and Becky.

In 1991, they officially became a family in the same household. Twenty-three years later during Christmas 2014, Gene and Becky broke the news that she needed a kidney transplant. The hardest part, Becky said, was telling their grandchildren.

As for her girls, Becky told them what most mothers would say. “I told them there was no obligation. If they wanted to try and be tested, here was the number to call. But they didn’t have to.”

Candace - and two of her sisters Terra Williby and Page Wagner - agreed to be tested. Sisters Brooke Mann and Lindsey Switzer could not be donors since both are smokers. Terra was immediately denied due to health concerns. Candace was overweight. But Page was a partial match. 

Page proceeded with testing, but her blood type didn’t match Becky’s. That’s when they decided to do a pairing transplant, which is when a donor is paired with a recipient the doctors find as a match and then match Becky with a different donor. 

After more tests, the pairing was a go, until Candace was ok’d to be tested after undergoing a dramatic weight loss.

Will Power
Candace needed to lose about 60 pounds in order to even be considered. So the 38-year-old “kicked into gear” and after 6 months of zumba, walking and healthy choices, Candace shed enough weight to be tested.

Even as blood was drawn at the AMH Clinic, Candace was unsure if she was a match. She soon learned she was so close to matching her stepmother that they could practically be genetically related. They shared the same blood type and cross match and three of eight other factors. 

“God had a lot to do with this. He helped me, so I was able to help her,” she said. “Without Him, I could not have done this. I had tried before to lose weight, but it took His help this time.”

But being a genetic match wasn’t enough. There was psychological testing and other factors to consider, especially whether she had the proper support system to get her through the 6-8 weeks of recovery. With three children - Kinzly, 16; Eli, 13; and Landon, 6 - and significant other, Michael, at home, her support system passed.

“Without their support, I couldn’t have done this,” Candace said. “And Michael was a big factor. He never said not to do this and was beside me the whole time. He’s been there for Kinzly, Eli and Landon, and without Michael, this wouldn’t be possible.”

On February 8, Candace was approved as a donor. 

A Birthday Gift
On March 9, Becky went through one last cross-match test. They passed, and they received the green light for the transplant. The date was final - March 10 - just two days before Becky’s 60th birthday.

“This was my birthday present. The most amazing gift I will ever receive,” Becky said.

In the same hotel with conjoined rooms, the family prepared for the transplant. The entire support team in spirit or presence. Lindsay and Page were there during the surgery, and Brooke checked in often for updates while working. 

Terra was also there. Although not a match, Candace said Terra was vital to the transplant. She was a rock, and one Gene needed. After all, his wife of nearly 26 years was on one operating table and his daughter laid on another. 

“I don’t know how he did it. It was awful for him,” Becky said. “And I was scared, too. Not that I didn’t want her to be my donor, just that I was scared for her. She has kids to raise. I was scared for the risks to her. For me, this surgery wasn’t a big deal.”

Candace admitted slight hesitation as the surgery neared. But nothing that could have changed her mind. 

“There was no question about it. I was doing this,” Candace said. “As it got closer, I had to do some things that were tough, like get a will. But this is something I had to do.”

Instant Impact
After 3 1/2 hours, surgery was over. Her family said Candace came out of the surgery unrecognizable with severe swelling in her face. Comparing the pain to having been run over by a truck, the first day was unbearable. By the end of the second day, she was a different person. Candace was released by the third day.

For Becky, it was an instant improvement. “From the moment, the kidney went into my body, it started working. It went straight from her body into mine and started work,” Becky said with disbelief.

The surgery was life-altering for Becky as it gave her immediate benefits. The new kidney is the size of a potato and sits in front of one kidney on the right side. She nows has three kidneys, including the two diseased kidneys that are the size of a small squash thanks to the cysts that have ballooned inside them. 

The greatest challenge is for Candace, who must immediately learn to live with one kidney. She’s still sore and will be for sometime, but the pain and discomfort is well worth it, she said. 

Community Support
Both said community support has made the recovery easier. Kristi Schutt started a meal train for the family, so for the first 15 days - Monday-Friday - meals are delivered to their home. 

The community of Orchard has rallied around the women. They’ve been flocked with balloons, flowers, cards, phone calls, messages and texts. They mentioned the meal train while at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The nurses all said that would never happen anywhere other than a small town.

“We couldn’t have done this without all of the community support - our family and friends,” Becky said. 

​Candace agreed, “This community is amazing. We cannot thank everyone enough for all that they’ve done for us. They truly have been amazing.”