A marriage promise: Through sickness, in health

Boesl donates kidney to ailing husband

BY JENNIFER COYNE STAFF WRITER

BRANDON – Jeff Boesl stole Julie’s heart 35 years ago, and now he has her kidney. The couple’s strength and devotion to each other was reaffi rmed when Julie became an organ donor for her husband Jan. 19. “I tell her, ‘Thank you,’ every day,” Jeff said. “I’m unbelievably thankful for this small miracle, and I show my appreciation every day.” Jeff suffers from an inherited disorder known as polycystic kidney disease, where clusters of cysts develop on his kidneys, ultimately resulting in organ failure. Yet, with the successful transfer, the 54-yearold is back to completing farm chores as if he was in his 30s. “This is a game changer,” Jeff said. “I’m a completely different guy now. I felt absolutely better immediately after surgery.” The Boesls milk 400 cows with Jeff’s family in Douglas County near Brandon. They also crop farm and have a herd of beef cattle. In Jeff’s family, polycystic kidney disease is quite common; his grandfather, mother and six of seven siblings were affected by the illness. Jeff’s fi rst inkling of being a carrier was when he enrolled in the local fi re department and was fl agged for high blood pressure during the physical assessment. “At fi rst we thought it might be related,” Julie said. “We had it in the back of our minds of what could be causing his high blood pressure.” Jeff’s health worsened eight years ago, so he began doctoring with a specialist to monitor his situation. At the time, he was visiting with his doctor every six months, and with vitamins and a strict diet, Jeff was able to prolong the use of his kidneys. “In the last fi ve years, I could see it getting worse, but honestly I thought it was just me aging,” Jeff said. However, in 2019, Jeff’s kidneys were functioning at 10%. He was consulting with his doctor every two months and developing a plan. He was

PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE Jeff and Julie Boesl are recovered from kidney transplant surgeries earlier this year, after Julie donated one of her kidneys to Jeff . The Boesls dairy farm near Brandon.

in need of a transplant or needed to be put on dialysis. “I could see it in him,” Julie said. “He had no energy, no appetite and his immune system was weak. A cold would take a normal person two days to recover from. For Jeff, it was two weeks.” Jeff agreed. “It got to the point that

To those who work in acres, not hours,

God Bless You!

I had to force myself to eat just so I had the strength to keep working,” he said. Soon after, the Boesls made a plan to get Jeff on the organ donor list, and Julie underwent testing to see if she could be a possible match. Both Julie and the Boesls’ son were the perfect fi t for Jeff’s transplant needs. “That was hard to accept,” Jeff said. “My uncle once told me that there are givers and takers in this world, and you want to be known as a giver.” At the very least, Jeff could go on dialysis and not risk the surgery on his family members. “I knew it would be OK,” said Julie, who has undergone two other surgeries near that incision site. “My doctor said I have numbers like a triathlete. My body can take care of me with one kidney.” The Boesls quickly moved forward with their plan and adjusted farm chores accordingly. They moved breeding around so there would be minimal calving while the couple was recovering, lessening the burden of chores on family and friends who were going to help. “It was like going on vacation,” Julie said. “That was the benefi t of working with a living donor. We could plan.” On the day of the surgery, the couple – while having to follow hospital procedures of operating and recovering in separate rooms – did prepare for the operation together.

Boesl page 11

PHOTO SUBMITTED

www.rahnfuels.com | 320-256-3680 Julie and Jeff Boesl place their named leaves on a mural at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. The tree represents organ donors and recipients.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Julie and Jeff Boesl hold hands prior to kidney transplant surgery Jan. 19 at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Julie donated one of her kidneys to Jeff , who suff ered from an inherited disorder known as polycystic kidney disease.

Boesl from page 10

The Boesls were also the fi rst patients at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis to use Zoom to connect to each other following the surgery. “The staff was very accommodating of our wishes to be together,” Jeff said. “The fi rst thing I asked about after surgery was how Julie was doing. Then, I could see her over the video stream.” The couple spent four days in the Twin Cities before being released to recover at home. Six months following surgery, both Boesls show little signs of being an organ donor and recipient. Jeff continues to have checkups with his doctor, and he is on anti-rejection medication to protect the new-to-him kidney. In the future, Jeff will need to have surgery to remove the infected kidneys which are no longer functioning in his body. Nothing compares to what Julie’s selfl essness means to Jeff. “Because of her, I’m able to do what I love again: working. I love my job,” Jeff said. “And, there’s nothing better now than when Julie makes an awesome supper, and I look at it and want to eat it. I can enjoy eating again.” Even the Boesls’ children have commented on Jeff’s better health, having the ability to play with their 13 grandchildren. “Before, I would go into the play room and the kids would play around me as I napped,” Jeff said. “Now, I can be right there doing stuff with them.” In sickness and in health, the Boesls promised themselves to each other – and that promise could not be upheld any better than through the actions of Julie this past year. “He’s back,” she said. “We’re a team again.”

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