October 2, 2007, ST. LOUIS - How do you thank a hero? That was the question facing the transplant staff at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children''s Hospital.

Giving for Living, held at 7 p.m., Sept. 27, at the Center for Advanced Medicine was, at least, a way to start.

The event recognized those who had donated a kidney or portion of liver to someone on the transplant waiting list. The event was sponsored by Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children''s Hospital and Mid-America Transplant Services, which runs Second Chance St. Louis, a program from people who want to donate organs anonymously.

All the living donors at Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children''s Hospital from 2006 were invited, and many brought their recipients.

The program also included remarks by Martin Jendrisak, MD, surgical director of kidney transplant at Barnes-Jewish Hospital; Jeff Lowell, MD, surgical director of kidney and liver transplant at St. Louis Children''s Hospital; Barry Brown, MD, who received a kidney from his wife, Jean; and Maria Eberhardt, who donated a kidney anonymously in 2003 and Breeyen Black, who received Maria''s kidney and met her after the surgery. 

Several weeks before the program, each donor''s recipient had been asked to mail in a photo of themselves, with their donor, if possible, and a short note telling why they were thankful for their transplant. The photos were turned into a slide show that played on screens during and after the event.

Each donor received a CD of the slide show and certificate, presented by Anitha Vijayan, MD, medical director of living kidney donor program, recognizing them for sharing the gift of life.

As attendees mingled and enjoyed refreshments after the program, Larry Parker, of Mt. Vernon, IL, shrugged off any notion that he was a hero. Parker donated a kidney to his sister.

"I''m not a hero," he said. "She needed a kidney. I didn''t even think about it. It was something I had to do. It wasn''t about me."