Published: July 03, 2008 03:23 pm         

Man receives gift of life from his brother

By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



Two men could certainly be the definition of “brotherly love.”

Jeff Holliyan, superintendent of Gardendale’s public works department, said he gives his brother Jason Holliyan credit for giving him a new lease on life after Jason donated one of his kidneys to Jeff.

Jason, of Mt. Olive, is 11 years younger than Jeff, but said he and his brother have always been close. He said he looked up to his brother growing up and still has fond memories of the experiences they shared.

“He was a cool older brother,” Jason said. “In 1984, he bought a new 1985 Z-28 and put a real good stereo system in it. I can remember driving around and listening to the stereo. Every time I get upset, I just think about cruising around Gardendale with Jeff and it calms me down.”

Jeff Holliyan was diagnosed last year with an autoimmune disorder called IgA nephropathy. The disorder occurs when IgA, an infection-fighting protein, settles in the kidneys.

The disorder was discovered last July when Jeff visited a doctor for high blood pressure. A kidney biopsy revealed that he had only 20 percent kidney function.

“It’s something that had been going on with me for 20 years,” Jeff Holliyan said. “You don’t have any symptoms until you get down to about 20 percent.”

Doctors put Jeff on the steroid prednisone, which he took for about a month. However, he suffered a near-fatal gastrointestinal bleed last August which put him in intensive care at St. Vincent’s for seven days.

“As a result of that, the medicine was not successful and that declined my kidney function even lower,” he said.

In January, he began dialysis at a Princeton Hospital clinic, which he stayed on for more than four months. At that point, doctors began to talk to Jeff about a possible kidney transplant.

“My brother Jason went in and was evaluated for the transplant and he was a perfect match,” he said. “We got the word the first week of May that everything was a go and they scheduled the surgery.”

Over the course of several months, Jason Holliyan went an extensive round of blood, physical and psychological testing.

Jason said he wanted to donate his kidney to Jeff as soon as he found out he needed one.

“I never gave it a second thought,” he said. “I just figured, he needs it and I don’t really care what it does to me.”

The surgery was performed on May 27 by Dr. Carlton Young at UAB Hospital. Jeff Holliyan said he went into surgery at 8 a.m. and woke up in the recovery room at 2 p.m. Jason’s surgery took about an hour.

After only three days in the hospital, Jeff Holliyan left with a new kidney. Jason Holliyan was able to report to work the following Monday.

“The recovery was painful, but with all the people I had around me, it was pleasant,” Jason said. “I feel fine now; it’s like nothing ever happened. I actually feel a whole lot more peaceful about everyday life.”

The experience also changed Jeff’s outlook on life. He said he was forever grateful to Jason for what he called a “second opportunity,” but he also praised God for seeing him through the ordeal.

“My faith sustained me,” he said. “I know God’s faithful and His word is true. Did I go through some down times? Absolutely. But I had to keep holding onto his promise.”