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Ray Vetuskey received a kidney from his mother, Betty, in March 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. Betty, who has since died, would have turned 100 this year.
Ray Vetuskey is marking the 100th birthday of the kidney his mother, Betty, donated to him when he was 16, nearly five decades after the transplant. The kidney, transplanted at Rochester’s Strong Hospital in March 1978, is still functioning, according to a report by WHEC and a transplant doctor at URochester Medicine.
Vetuskey’s kidney problems began when he was 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 option. His mother, then 52 years old, offered one of her kidneys.
The operation was successful, and Vetuskey recalls that he and his mother were on gurneys together, holding hands before surgery. He said Betty reassured him she had a Genesis concert to attend and would not miss it. Vetuskey says he kept the March 1978 calendar with the surgery date circled, as well as the concert ticket stub; he made it to the show after the transplant.
Forty-eight years later, Vetuskey visits Strong Hospital once a year for a check-up, WHEC reported. Dr. Miklos Molnar, director of transplant medical services at URochester Medicine, described Vetuskey as the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history. Betty has died, but Vetuskey says he thinks of her every day. He also says he had a star named after her in a national star registry.
A Rarely Long-Lasting Transplant
Vetuskey’s story is an unusually long-running example of a living-donor kidney transplant. Molnar told WHEC that a living-donor kidney typically lasts 15 to 20 years; Vetuskey’s transplant has continued for 48 years. That comparison describes a typical range, not a prediction for any individual patient, and the report does not give clinical details about why this particular kidney has lasted so long.
The story also puts a local need for donors in focus. WHEC reported that about 500 people in the region are waiting for a kidney transplant, with hundreds more awaiting other organ transplants. The figures underscore why donor registration is part of the report, while Vetuskey’s experience remains one family’s outcome rather than a guarantee of what donation or transplantation will mean for others.
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The 1978 Operation and Its Aftermath
Vetuskey grew up in Seabreeze as the youngest of five children. He described having a close relationship with his mother and remembered her as well-liked in the neighborhood. When dialysis failed to restore his kidney function, Betty’s offer made a transplant possible, according to his account to WHEC.
The report places the operation in March 1978 at Strong Hospital and says Vetuskey remains under follow-up care there, with one check-up each year. Molnar said the biological relationship between a mother and son can mean they share substantial DNA, while also noting the emotional connection. The report does not establish that either factor explains the transplant’s duration.
WHEC also cited the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, which said 72% of people locally are registered donors. The network encourages people to consider signing up. It said people older than 16 can register, choose which organs or 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
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What the Report Does Not Establish
The report says the kidney is still working, but does not provide Vetuskey’s latest test results, describe the kidney’s current function in clinical terms, or explain why it has lasted this long. Molnar’s 15-to-20-year figure is a typical lifespan for a living-donor kidney, not a limit or an individual forecast. The report says doctors believe the kidney could last for the rest of Vetuskey’s life, but that remains a medical expectation rather than a certainty.
The account also does not specify the date on which Betty would have turned 100 or give further information about her death. The reported regional waiting-list and donor-registration figures are not accompanied by a measurement date or methodology, so they should be understood as figures cited by WHEC rather than a complete current tally.
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Annual Checkups Continue at Strong
Vetuskey is expected to continue his annual check-ups at Strong Hospital, according to the WHEC report. No new procedure or change in his care was announced. Doctors’ view that the kidney may last for the remainder of his life is not a confirmed outcome; his health and the transplant’s function will continue to be monitored.
The donor network’s message is that people older than 16 can register and can set or change their donation preferences. Readers seeking current registration instructions or updated waiting-list figures should consult the relevant donation network or official registry.
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Key Questions
Who donated the kidney to Ray Vetuskey?
His mother, Betty Vetuskey, donated one of her kidneys when he was 16.
When and where was the transplant?
The transplant took place in March 1978 at Strong Hospital in Rochester, New York.
Is the donated kidney still working?
Yes. WHEC reported that the kidney is still functioning 48 years after the operation. Vetuskey has annual check-ups, but the report does not provide detailed medical test results.
What record does Vetuskey hold?
Dr. Miklos Molnar of URochester Medicine said Vetuskey is the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history.
Can people change their organ-donor registration?
The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network told WHEC that people older than 16 can register, limit which organs and tissues they wish to donate, and modify or withdraw their registration.
Source: hn
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