For some time, Melodie Henderson-Magouirk knew the day would come that she would lose a part of herself forever. When that day came, she never thought twice.
She donated one of her kidneys to her best friend Jennifer Jacobson, whom she met when the two were undergrads at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 1994.
“We were both theater majors in a small department, and we did several shows together, becoming best friends in the process,” Melodie said. “When we graduated with our BA in acting/directing in 1997, we didn’t know what to do next. We decided to both apply to one graduate school, and decided if we didn’t both get in, we wouldn’t go anywhere. Cal State Fullerton accepted both of us, and we packed what we could fit in our cars, and I followed Jennifer all the way out here. She’s always been the leader – I have a terrible sense of direction.” ’3 ON THE EDGE’
What: Chino Community Theatre’s Weekender Seriesfeaturing three cutting-edge plays:
Parallel Lives. All-female sketch comedy. Some adult language.
When: Saturday and June 17
At Home at the Zoo. two strangers cross paths and meet their cruel fate on a bench in Central Park. Recommended for mature audiences only; contains explicit sexual dialogue and content.
When: June 12 and 18
Closer. the struggle between a quartet of strangers to find intimacy in 1990s London. Recommended for mature audiences, due to explicit sexual dialogue and content.
When: Today and June 16 and 19.
Where: Seventh Street Theatre, 13123 Seventh St., Chino
Cost: $15 adults, $12 students and seniors age 55 and older
Information: 909-590-1149, chinocommunitytheatre.org in 2002, following the birth of her daughter Madilynn, Jennifer was diagnosed with Familial Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, FSGS, a disorder in the blood-filtering parts of the kidney.
“It is a scary thought,” said Jennifer, thinking back to when she first heard she would eventually need a transplant. “I was so sick at the time that I would be grateful to anything that would make me feel better. I tried everything before a transplant. I did chemotherapy for years, plasma exchange through a central port in my neck, etc. in five years my kidneys were just gone but I kept on. I still worked and went on with my life because I wasn’t going to let it define me.”
On April 10, 2008, Jennifer received a new kidney donated by her best friend.
Now, three years later, in a twist of irony worthy of the theater, Melodie’s kidneys will appear together on the same stage as both women perform roles in Chino Community Theatre’s “Parallel Lives,” part of the group’s “3 on the Edge” Weekender Series at Chino’s Seventh Street Theatre through June 17.
“Theater was what brought us together, but we haven’t been on stage together in about 10 years,” Jennifer said.
“Parallel Lives” is a sketch comedy. a cast of five women plays 18 parts in several vignettes about women’s issues. Other cast members include Chino residents Gracie Arvizu, Cindi B. East and Michelle Knight Rhinehardt.
When the need for transplant surgery became apparent, it turned out that Melodie was more than a best friend to Jennifer. she also was a perfect match, as far as being a donor.
“I told her I would give her a kidney when the time came,” Melodie said. “I just knew I would be a match.”
In 2006, Jennifer’s symptoms increased as her energy level faltered.
“She was tired all the time, had bad headaches frequently, and just didn’t feel good,” Melodie said.
When Jennifer’s kidney function dropped below 20 percent, the doctors said it was time for the transplant.
Melodie was the first one tested. Doctors mixed hers and Jennifer’s blood together for an idea of tissue compatibility.
“Ours were so closely matched, they said we could have been sisters,” Melodie said.
Melodie spent the next five months going through medical testing and psychological evaluation.
“If I failed one of the tests, they wouldn’t accept me as a donor,” she said. “That was tough for both of us, and our families. my husband and I had three children at the time, Julianna, who was 9, and Tate and Tucker, who were 4. Finally, I got the green light. a couple of weeks later, we met with our surgery teams and they told us they would call when they had a date for us.”
Surgery was set for April 10, 2008.
The transplant was an immediate success, and both recovered quickly. Jennifer’s anti-rejection medications quickly were reduced because of the closeness of the match.
“I will always feel grateful and believe that I have never done enough to pay it back. You just can’t pay back the gift of life,” Jennifer said. “I felt guilty that someone I loved so much had to do something like that for me. I still feel guilty. I knew there were things she wanted to do with her life, like have another baby, and I didn’t want to be the cause of her not fulfilling her dreams. it is such a huge gift that it takes you on a roller coaster. Grateful and guilty, that is what you feel. I swore that I would live my life to the fullest and do my best everyday. it gives me motivation to be as healthy as I can.”
Jennifer needn’t have worried about Melodie not fulfilling her dream of another child. Though possibly waiting a little longer then planned, last fall the Henderson-Magouirks welcomed daughter Aislan.
All’s well with the Jacobson family, too. “I can get up everyday and live my life,” Jennifer said. “I get to play with my husband and daughter. I can spend wonderful moments with my family and my friends and not have to worry about being so sick. it is a new chance of life; the most precious gift ever. it is like a redo. the best redo ever. Melodie and I have been best friends for 17 years. We have both changed and our focuses are different, but inside we are the same two kids that wore cut-off shorts under our college graduation gowns. I love her not because she gave me a kidney but because she is my sister. We have lived more at the age of 30-something than most people ever get to live. the giving of the kidney was just a stop in our journey. a great stop.”
diana.sholley@inlandnewspapers.com, 909-483-9381