|
MACKENTHUN’S Gourmet Meats St. Bonifacius |
|
Island View Dining Waconia. 952-442-2956 |
|
CLICKSTART 952-902-2014 |
|
Leuthner Well Company Victoria * 952-443-2582 |
|
Swanson Insurance 952-448-4580 |
|
The Victoria Fire Department City of Victoria 952-443-2771 |
|
Headlines and bylines |
|
Front Page Feature Story |
|
From the Editor |
|
Sophie’s Drawing |
|
Letters to the Editor |
|
Victoria Moments |
|
Hook Line & Sinker |
|
Calendar of Events |
|
Click here to Advertise |
|
the Gazette |
|
Return to Home Page |
|
Order paper Gazette |
|
Notes and Quotes |
|
The Scoop at City Hall |
|
Transporting Life to Another Land |
|
Dedicated to the sunshine of truth, the moonshine of meeting deadlines, and the starshine of Victoria. |
|
8661 Deer Run Dr. * Victoria 952-443-2351 |
|
The Victoria GAZETTE |
|
Victoria’s Corner Bar. Nightly Specials and Menus. 952-443-9944 |
|
by Sue Orsen Bob and Darla Diethelm signed up for a European Tour last fall 2016 that took them to Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. They left Victoria on September 1st and arrived back home on September 18th. Their large album of photos speaks of beautiful landscapes, mountains and lakes, ancient architecture, native music and costumes. The tour included travel by bus, train, boat, and cable car. But this European trip to another land was more special to Bob and Darla than anyone else on the tour because it included a 24-hour visit to a family that became part of the Diethelm story beginning in 2007. That family lives in Birkenfeld, Germany. The parents in that family, Rolf and Antje, have two children, Pascal and Nicola. Nicola is alive and well today because of a bone marrow transplant in 2007. The bone marrow came from Bob Diethelm. “At the time,” said Bob, “I was 60 years old and she was 14. I was a perfect match.” In agreeing to the bone marrow transplant, Bob was transporting life to another land, although at the time he didn’t know that. It was required that identities remain private for at least two years after the transplant. When Bob and Darla visited Nicola and her family last year, she was a healthy 23-year old young lady. *** The story begins in 1995 when Bob donated a blood sample to be tested for a relative who was not well. That blood draw occurred in the gymnasium of the Guardian Angels Catholic School in Chaska. “Our blood was drawn,” he said, “but the relative died without a transplant. I was put into a worldwide bone marrow registry.” Darla commented that many interviews were conducted to make sure Bob was definitely willing to be a bone marrow donor. He always said he was willing. When the call came that there was a perfect match, there were even more interviews. Bob remained convinced that he wanted to be a donor. He was not told the name, location, sex, or nationality of the person who was the perfect match in need of his bone marrow. “I was told there were two ways to do this transplant procedure,” he said. “One involved a seven-hour extraction of bone marrow, and the other was a two-hour surgery. I chose the surgery.” Darla, who is a longtime Registered Nurse, explained that the seven-hour extraction meant her husband would need to take certain medicating drugs, which didn’t sound like something they wanted to do. “I had to go in about a week early and give blood in case I needed blood during or after the surgery,” said Bob. “I made the bone marrow donation at the University of Minnesota. I went home the same day as the surgery.” That date was April 3rd, 2007 -- a date inscribed on their lives and also on a plaque given to them from the National Marrow Donor Program. That very day Bob’s bone marrow -- two liters of it -- were flown to Germany to be transplanted into a 14 year girl they had never known or met. From where on the body is bone marrow extracted? Bob and Darla each instinctively reached to two locations of bone on the sides of their lower backs, around waist level, where incisions were made. Did it hurt? “No,” replied Bob. “I was under anesthetic. And before I went in, I told them I don’t want to see the operating room.” Were there side effects? “When I woke up, I thought I was fine but I soon learned that I couldn’t look at food,” he said. “And I was weak. I couldn’t walk around the block. I went back to work in a couple weeks, which was too early. If I worked for somebody else, they would have paid for my time without work,” added the self employed carpenter. Only after two full years did the donor and the recipient have permission to exchange information about identity and location, if they so desired. They each filled out a form with their names and contact data. “Her parents also had to agree because she was underage,” said Bob. “I got a letter from her first. Her name was Nicola Schroth. I’ve saved her letters and Christmas cards.”
THE REST OF THE STORY IS IN THE PAPER EDITION. |
|
July 2017 |
|
Bob and Darla visited the Schroth family in Germany in September 2016. Pascal (son), Rolf (father), Bob, Nicola (daughter), Darla, Antje (mother). |