North Jersey Son Donates Life-Saving Kidney To Father

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Mugs, ties, socks, tools. These are the prototypical Father's Day gifts.

But this year, Jordan Greene gave his father something that can't be quantified or bought: Life.

Greene, 20, donated a kidney to his father, Sean, who has lived with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, a rare disease that attacks a kidney's filtering functions. The condition can lead to scarring and permanent damage. The family lives in Passaic County. The transplant was performed at Hackensack University Medical Center.

"I love my dad so very much and I couldn't stand to see him suffer," Greene said.

The decision to accept the kidney was not easy for Sean Greene.

"I had always hoped this day might never come," said Sean Greene, 49. "As a father, how could I put my son through this?"

Siblings often make the best donor candidates. Sean Greene received a kidney from his sister in 2003, but it failed recently, and he needed to find a new one. He was told he would have to go on dialysis and would need a new kidney to live. Greene was tested in November to see if he was a match. The family waited until he finished his spring semester at the University of Hartford before undergoing surgery.

"I remember, as a kid, hearing my parents say that the kidney my dad got from my Aunt, wouldn't last forever and I knew, I would be the one to help him next," Sean Greene said.

The benefits to both Greene and his dad outweighed the risks, said Dr. Michael Goldstein, the center's director of organ transplantation.

"It's common for parents to be reluctant to have their children donate an organ to them," Goldstein said. "The best option for any patient in need of a kidney transplant is a living donor because they don’t have to wait on the organ transplant list and the long term outcome is always better. As for the donor, Jordan knows he saved his father’s life, which is a tremendous emotional life benefit."

Greene and his father underwent surgery together, side-by-side Monday. They are now recovering at home. Greene was released from the hospital Wednesday. His father was released Thursday night. Both are doing well, a hospital spokesperson said.

"My son stepped up to the plate, without hesitation and I'm so very grateful," said Sean Greene.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com