Altruism is alive and well in the Twin Tiers this holiday
season.

An Era story about former Bradfordian Lisa Ramer needing a
kidney transplant attracted the attention of two generous
people.

A ,500 check for Ramer came to the Era the same day the story
appeared in the Era (Nov. 23). The donor could not be contacted by
press time and will not be identified.

Olean, N.Y., resident Jason Gallik, 20, called the Era three
days later. He said he wanted to donate a kidney to Ramer.

It wasn’t a decision he took lightly.

“I decided I wanted to donate (a kidney) a long time ago,” he
said.

Gallik, formerly of Bradford and a 2005 graduate of Bradford
Area High School, had family members who were on dialysis when he
was eight or nine-years-old. They eventually died from kidney
complications, he said.

Ramer has been on dialysis for over two years. She hasn’t been
able to work because dialysis treatments take up many hours and
potential employers can’t work around her appointments.

She was diagnosed in 1997 with glycocidic vasculitis with
essential mixed cryoglobulimia, a rare autoimmune disorder that
affects the blood and various other body systems. The disease
caused numerous complications for Ramer including kidney failure,
numerous large ulcers, anemia and congestive heart failure. Ramer
has been hospitalized nearly 50 times, been in a coma and nearly
died from the disease a few times.

Money has been extremely tight the last 10 years, as Ramer
raised two daughters on her own and sold her home in Bradford to
move closer to hospitals in Hershey and Harrisburg.

To hear that a complete stranger, and a younger one at that,
wanted to donate a kidney to her was a complete shock to Ramer.

“This is just a miracle,” she said Monday evening. “This is
amazing. There are not a lot of people that are that
altruistic.”

Gallik, who aspires to earn a registered nursing degree, said he
isn’t looking for any recognition. He has seen what family members
have gone through and he knows how hard it can be for people
battling an illness when money is tight.

“Sometimes you just have to help someone whether you know them
or not,” he said.

Giving a kidney is not a simple donation. The process is not
easy and takes time, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Donors must have complimentary blood types with receivers in many
cases, must be in good health, must be willing to withstand kidney
removal surgery and the pain associated with the surgery and
recovery. Donors undergo an extensive pre-screening process to see
if they are able to be a donor. They are not financially
compensated for their donation or any related expenses such as
lodging, travel and time off of work.

Gallik said he understands the risks involved, but isn’t worried
about them.

“I’m ready and waiting,” he said.

Ramer has an appointment Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center, where she plans to get the transplant done. The
appointment is one of her final in her screening process to be
included on the center’s kidney donation list.

“I can’t wait to have it done,” she said.

She plans to contact Gallik following the visit to let him know
what the next step will be. The two will probably make plans to
meet in person, Gallik said.

Ramer should have been on the list two years ago but the thought
of another hospital bill scared her away from it, she
explained.

But she wants to work and she wants to live a normal life
again.

“I want to move forward so much and get on with my life,” she
said.

Gallik said he realizes it may not work out.

“… I would feel bad for her because I wasn’t a match, but I
would know that I did something to try to help someone out,” he
said.

There are two possible solutions if Gallik is not a match. The
medical center could find another donor/receiver pair made up of a
donor who matches Ramer’s blood type and a receiver who matches
Gallik’s. Another solution is immune conditioning, a process that
involves medications, spleen removal, and blood filtering prior to
the transplant.

In the meantime, Ramer has found an apartment in the Harrisburg
area that only carries a six-month lease. She moves from her
current residence next Saturday and remains optimistic that things
will work out. She has been worried about running out of money and
winding up homeless, she said.

“I’m not going to let that happen. I will not,” she said.