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Ray Vetuskey is marking what would have been the 100th birthday of the kidney his mother, Betty, donated when he was 16. The transplanted kidney is still functioning 48 years after the March 1978 operation, and Strong Hospital identifies Vetuskey as its longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient.
Ray Vetuskey of Webster, New York, is marking the 100th birthday of the kidney his mother donated to him when he was 16. The organ, transplanted at Rochester’s Strong Hospital in March 1978, is still functioning 48 years later; the hospital says Vetuskey is its longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient.
Vetuskey developed serious kidney problems as a teenager. He told WHEC that tests showed his kidneys were not working, and he was placed on dialysis. When his kidneys did not recover, a transplant became the remaining option. His mother, Betty Vetuskey, then 52, offered one of her kidneys.
The operation took place at Strong Hospital in March 1978. Vetuskey has kept a calendar from that month, with the surgery date circled, as well as a ticket stub from a Genesis concert he and his mother attended. He recalled that they were on gurneys before surgery when Betty reassured him she would still make it to the concert. The transplant succeeded, and Vetuskey says they went.
Betty has since died. Her son told WHEC that he thinks of her every day and has named a star in her honor. He now visits Strong Hospital once a year for a check-up. Doctors believe the kidney could last for the rest of his life, though that is a medical expectation rather than a guarantee.
A Transplant With Lasting Impact
Vetuskey’s experience illustrates the long-term impact a living kidney donation can have for a recipient and a family. It is also an unusually long transplant survival: URochester Medicine transplant medical services director Dr. Miklos Molnar told WHEC that a living-donor kidney typically lasts 15 to 20 years. Vetuskey’s kidney has functioned for 48 years, well beyond that typical range.
The story also connects an individual transplant to ongoing local need. WHEC reported that about 500 people in the region are waiting for a kidney transplant, with hundreds more waiting for other organ transplants. The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network says 72% of people locally are registered donors and encourages others to consider registering. Those figures describe the local situation cited by the report; they do not indicate how many people will receive transplants or when.
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From Teen Dialysis to Transplant
As a teenager, Vetuskey faced kidney failure severe enough to require dialysis. He told WHEC that treatment did not restore kidney function, leaving transplantation as his option. His mother’s donation made the March 1978 surgery possible when he was 16.
Molnar told WHEC that the connection between a mother and son has both biological and emotional dimensions. The report describes Vetuskey as the longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient in Strong Hospital’s history, citing the hospital’s transplant program. Betty would have been 100 this year, prompting her son to honor both her birthday and the kidney she gave him.
“She was a great lady; everyone loved her in the neighborhood.”
— Ray Vetuskey, speaking to WHEC
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What Doctors Cannot Predict
The report says doctors believe the kidney could last for the remainder of Vetuskey’s life, but it does not provide a firm prognosis or a guarantee of how long the organ will continue to function. His current health measurements and any specific medical risks were not detailed. The report also does not name the exact date of Betty’s birth or provide a separate registry record documenting the kidney’s age; the birthday framing refers to the donated kidney and Betty’s 100th birthday year.
The 15-to-20-year figure is presented as a typical duration for living kidney donations, not a prediction for any individual recipient. The report does not give a comparison method or underlying dataset for that estimate.
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Annual Checkups and Donor Registry
Vetuskey is expected to continue his annual check-ups at Strong Hospital, where clinicians can monitor the transplanted kidney. No new procedure or treatment was announced in the report; doctors’ view that the kidney may last the rest of his life remains a prognosis.
The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network continues to encourage people to consider organ donation. According to the report, people older than 16 can register, choose which organs or tissues they are willing to donate, and change or withdraw their registration later. Anyone considering donation can review the registry’s information and make a decision based on their own preferences.
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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. She was 52 at the time of the 1978 transplant.
When did Vetuskey receive the transplant?
Surgeons at Strong Hospital performed the transplant in March 1978, after Vetuskey’s kidneys failed to recover and dialysis did not resolve the problem.
How long has the transplanted kidney been functioning?
The kidney was still functioning 48 years after the transplant, according to the WHEC report. The hospital identifies Vetuskey as its longest-surviving kidney transplant recipient.
How often does Vetuskey visit the hospital?
Vetuskey told WHEC he visits Strong Hospital once a year for a check-up. The report does not detail his test results or broader medical history.
Can people register to become organ donors?
The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network says people older than 16 can sign up. The report says registrants can limit which organs or tissues they wish to donate and can later change or withdraw their registration.
Source: hn
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