‘Little miracle’

With very little fanfare, Wayne Billing, 67, was gifted a new kidney from his former assistant SaraJo Vulcan on Jan. 18, 2023. 

“I guess you could call it a little miracle,” Vulcan, 45, said of the decision, the donation, and the match. “I want to give him a chance for more years of life…more life together with his family, with their grandchildren and much more.”

In order for one person to donate a kidney to another, many details must fall in line. Both persons must have the same “tissue type.” Although no two people except identical twins can have the exact same tissue type, doctors look for 12 specific “protein markers.” 

Vulcan is a lifelong area resident and mother to three beautiful children, Conway, Violette, and Hazel. She has worked for the city of New Richland as assistant city clerk since 2015, nearly the entire time former clerk Billing served as the town's city clerk. 

The pair worked side by side from 2015 until Billing retired in Dec. of 2020. 

During that time, many milestones occurred in both their lives. Vulcan gave birth to her youngest son, Conway; Billing saw his daughter marry and also welcomed two additional grandchildren. 

“That bonded us even more,” Vulcan explained. 

The day before Vulcan gave birth to Conway, she received a phone call from Billing with news that he was in the intensive care unit. His kidneys were shutting down –a complication from radiation and chemotherapy he received while battling pancreatic cancer. 

Vulcan asked whether he needed a kidney and Wayne said, “Maybe.” 

“I told him if he needed a kidney I would get tested and see if it was possible for me to give him one,” Vulcan remembered. “I also reminded him we are the same blood type.” 

Last August Vulcan started the necessary procedures at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The steps were numerous, but three main blood tests were used to determine whether the two of them  were a compatible donor/recipient match. 

1. Blood type (check)

2. Tissue type

3. Cross-matching

In addition to the long shot that all the factors will fall in line, a kidney donor must be in good physical and emotional health. So alongside the above tests, Vulcan had to undergo a physical and several interviews with psychologists and social workers. 

“The process is very thorough,” Vulcan recalls. “But I look back to a person in my life who donated a kidney to a complete stranger. At the time I thought, ‘I’d totally do that.’ 

“The Mayo Clinic team provided a fantastic support system and advocate team.”

Because the chances of a match are so slim, Vulcan also prepared herself for a “donation chain,” a series of events in which the donation of her kidney to another potential match could result in another person donating their kidney for Billing. 

“If it meant Wayne could receive a kidney, I was willing to do it,” Vulcan said. 

In November Vulcan received a call from Rochester notifying her that she was, against the odds, a match.

“I remember crying when I heard the news,” Vulcan expressed. “I was overwhelmed with joy.” 

And then Vulcan was told she was the person who would get to deliver the news to Billing. 

So, together, on Jan. 17 the pair arrived at Mayo Clinic in Rochester for preoperative exams. They shared a meal together that evening and mentally prepared for their operation. 

The next day, in adjoining rooms the kidney transplant operation was performed successfully. 

In the weeks since, the two are recovering well. 

In the coming months, Billing will have many follow-up appoitments and, for Vulcan, she will be on medication the rest of her life, in addition to paying careful attention to her diet. 

If not for Vulcan, it could have taken five years for a stranger to donate a suitable kidney. 

“The story isn’t about me,” Billing reminds those who ask. “The story is SaraJo.

“I look forward to quality years as a grandfather to Jacob (5) and Calmi (2). I look forward to more adventures with my wife Jean.” 

The couple have planned a European cruise in 2024. 

As for SaraJo, her only request from Wayne was a unique one– matching forearm tattoos to forever remember the bond they share. 

“I’ve never had a tattoo, nor did I ever plan to get one,” Billing chuckles. “I’m extremely fortunate for a friend like SaraJo, and the gift of life she’s bestowed.”