October 15, 2009
UW Dental Alumni Association director gives son special gift
By Steve Steinberg
School of Dentistry
Randy Newquist took a little extra time off this summer, but he wasn’t slacking. Far from it: The popular director of the UW Dental Alumni Association for the last 15 years donated a kidney to his 18-year-old son, Jason.
“We knew at some time in his life, we’d get to the point where he’d need a transplant,” Newquist said. Jason, who had been born with impaired kidneys, had still grown up leading an active life. He played on the tennis team at South Kitsap High School, where he graduated in June.
However, his kidneys began failing last year, and in November, he had one of them removed. By then he had less than 15 percent kidney function, and he had to undergo dialysis for 18 hours a week. “It made him dead tired, but we’re proud of him — he finished high school with honors,” said Newquist.
Jason was also completing his Eagle Scout work this summer. For his Eagle project, he organized an effort by about 30 people to make fleece blankets for dialysis patients.
When Jason went on a transplant list, his father was found to be a good match, but even so, it still took seven months for the operation to get the green light. He had to take all kinds of tests — heart, kidneys, donor compatibility. “It seemed like I was going to doctor appointments for months, doing these tests,” Newquist said.
But his concern centered on his son. “His life was on hold. He couldn’t plan for college, or work, or anything else until he had the operation.”
The five-hour operation, on July 29 at Seattle’s Swedish Hospital, went smoothly, and father and son were made an excellent recovery. It was actually harder on Newquist, the donor, than on his son, because the donor’s body must make the adjustment to the loss of a kidney. Beforehand, Newquist said, his wife, Valerie, was supportive — but still a little nervous.
There won’t be any physical restrictions on Newquist after the surgery, although Jason must take anti-rejection drugs the rest of his life. However, he’ll finally be free to pursue his plans, although his doctors want him to stay in the Seattle area for the first year if he goes on to college. Jason loves to cook and wants to be a chef someday, his father says, and has considered attending the Seattle Art Institute’s highly regarded culinary training program.
Randy and Valerie Newquist have three other children: Jillayne, a student at Brigham Young University; Daniel, also a student at BYU; and Devon, a student at Marcus Whitman Junior High School in Port Orchard.
