Man marks 100th birthday of kidney donated by mom 48 years ago

For Ray Vetuskey, a kidney is more than an organ. It is a lifelong reminder of his mother.Vetuskey was only 16 when kidney failure changed his life in 1978. When dialysis failed and doctors told his family that a transplant was his only remaining option, his mother, Betty, stepped forward without hesitation.Nearly five decades later, the kidney she donated is still working, and Vetuskey is celebrating what would have been his mother’s 100th birthday by honouring the extraordinary longevity of her gift.A mother’s gift that lasted decadesBetty was 52 when she donated one of her kidneys to her teenage son. Vetuskey, who is now 64 and lives in the Rochester, New York, area, remembers her as a woman who never questioned whether she should help him.“I don’t think she gave it two thoughts,” he told NBC affiliate WHEC.