Local People

Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 June 2023 01:15

By Lois Thomson

Kathy Martino, wheelchair (at right), looks in on her brother, Dave Esken, the day after transplant surgery

Kathy Martino and brother, Dave Esken, share an operation game birthday cake three months after transplant surgery.

Dave Esken's twin brother was not a match, but his sister, Kathy Martino, was. And as a result of her willingness to be a liver donor, Dave is on his way to recovery.

The family ordeal began 3-1/2 years ago when Dave had a cancerous tumor removed from his colon. His wife, Jill, said he didn't have any chemo or radiation afterward – the doctors said it was contained and they had removed it. He went back for tests periodically, but last June one of the tests indicated a shadow, and further testing revealed two tumors in the liver.

Dave, 57, of Finleyville, started three months of chemo with the hope of then having surgery to cut out the damaged part of the liver, and the liver would re-grow. "Unfortunately," Jill said, "the doctors said, 'No matter what we're trying, we can't get it to grow.' So he was looking at a liver transplant."

Dave was put on a list to receive an organ but had to be removed because an MRI of his rib cage revealed shadows. Jill explained, "He was so bad that they couldn't do a biopsy for fear that if it was cancer and they opened him up, it would spread." However, the doctors requested the results of a pet scan from three years earlier and saw those same marks. "So they knew it was probably some kind of damage he did as a kid," Jill said, "and three days later he was back on the list."

However, Dave was failing rapidly. His twin brother was tested but was not a match, and then the doctors fast-tracked his younger sister, Kathy. "She was in getting tested Wednesday," Jill said. "Friday night she got a call at 11:30, asking if she could be there Monday morning, they were going to do the transplant."

The surgery was performed, but issues still had to be resolved, as Dave twice had to be opened up to have infection removed. Despite the fact that he once weighed 237 and is now down to 155, his wife said, "He's doing much better, his color is coming back, and he's eating better."

Kathy said she was blessed that living donation is possible. "I felt I was going to be the one who matched. Like most people, I believe you need to do whatever it takes to help out your family. Having Dave here and giving Jill hope was worth every second of recovery time."

As expected, Dave is extremely grateful to his sister. "I'm thankful," he said. "I've done a lot of crying. I'm on my way (to a complete recovery)."