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Boy's Death Changes Life of Father's Best Friend: Shooting Victim's Family Directs Kidney Donation to Akron Man on Dialysis

Posted on: Wednesday, 24 May 2006, 18:00 CDT

By Beth Rankin, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

May 24--For the past three years, Brian Valrie has spent three hours a day, four days a week, undergoing dialysis at the Akron East Kidney Center.

A birth defect caused the 33-year-old man's kidneys to fail, bringing constant fatigue and dizziness.

The condition made life difficult for Valrie, a sports nut who coaches basketball at Davis Community Center.

Before last weekend, Valrie, who is also known as "Mack," had little chance of obtaining a new kidney. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, there are 2,085 people in Ohio in need of a kidney.

A local tragedy brought bittersweet news to Valrie's ears.

LaRossi Pearson, a 15-year-old West Akron resident, was fatally wounded in an accidental shooting Friday just blocks from his home while playing cards with friends.

Just before his death Saturday, Akron City Hospital officials approached LaRossi's parents, Terry Pearson and LaWanda "Chrissie" Turner, and asked if they would consider donating their son's organs.

"I immediately wanted to give," Turner said. "That's just how I am."

But for Pearson, the decision was a bit harder.

He was opposed until he learned about directive donating, which allows the family to specify a recipient.

Pearson and Valrie had been best friends since they played youth basketball. This gave him a chance to help an old friend.

Tests were conducted Saturday to determine if LaRossi's kidney would be a match.

Dr. Tanmay Lal, a transplant surgeon at Akron City Hospital, said extensive testing was needed to determine if it was a suitable match.

"First thing we do is match the blood group. They have to be the same blood type," he said. "Then we do a cross-match in which we want to make sure the recipient of an organ does not have any antibodies to the donor. If the patient has some antibodies to the donor, then you cannot do the transplant because there will be a rejection."

To everyone's surprise, LaRossi and Valrie were a match.

"I've never seen this before," Lal said.

Lal said directive donations are rare.

Another hurdle that had to be cleared was completing the required paperwork to get Valrie on the organ waiting list.

So on Sunday, Valrie underwent a four-hour surgery performed by six doctors. After a short stay in the surgical intensive care unit, he was moved to a regular hospital room where he has been recovering, surrounded by family and friends.

"When they called me and told me (about LaRossi's donated kidney), I didn't even know what to say," said Valrie's mother Crystal, who met the parents of the boy who saved her son's life for the first time Tuesday. "(Chrissie's) son will always be a part of Brian, and I'm so grateful."

For Turner, the organ transplant is a way to keep her son's memory alive.

"My son was always giving. He always wanted to share what he had," she said. "This is what Rossi would have wanted."

Now that her son's death has saved one life, Turner says she plans to make sure he saves more.

"After she got to the hospital on Friday, the first thing (Turner) said was, 'Oh my God, I gotta warn these kids,' " said Nicole Knaff, Turner's close friend and hairdresser.

Turner and Terry Pearson say they plan to tour local high schools and community centers to raise awareness about gun safety.

"Kids' education of what the gun is, is what the rappers have told them," Chrissie said. "That's not real life."

Hosea Linear, 18, a friend of LaRossi's, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and complicity to commit reckless homicide in connection with LaRossi's death. A 16-year-old boy was also charged with tampering with evidence.

Chrissie said she harbors no ill will against those responsible for her son's death.

"It was totally an accident," she said. "They just didn't know the nature of the gun. I hope this is a wake-up call."

LaRossi's funeral will be Friday at Stewart and Calhoun Funeral Home.

Family and friends have set up a memorial fund in the young man's name at any Ohio Savings Bank branch.

Messages for Beth Rankin may be left at 330-996-3136 or brankin@thebeaconjournal.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

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Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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