Ostertag
to donate kidney
The Associated Press, 06/01/02
DALLAS -- Utah Jazz center
Greg Ostertag will donate one of his kidneys to a sister who has diabetes, The
Dallas Morning News reported.
The procedure is scheduled
for June 27 at Baylor University Medical Center, the newspaper said Friday on
its online edition.
"I'm nervous,"
said the 7-foot-2 Ostertag, who played high school basketball in the Dallas
suburb of Duncanville before starring at Kansas.
"There's always that
chance that I won't come out of it, or that something will happen later, an
infection or something. But the chances are slim. I don't think about it that
much."
His sister, 26-year-old
Amy Hall has had type 1 diabetes since she was 7. In 1999, her kidney problems
began, leading to kidney failure in March.
Tests in March confirmed
the two were a perfect match.
"He has never thought
twice about it, never looked back, never said, 'I shouldn't be doing this
because it could mess up my career,"' Hall said.
Baylor's transplant
committee must approve the procedure, but Teresa Metz, a registered nurse and
the clinical transplant coordinator overseeing Hall's case, said the approval is
a mere formality. Metz said the risk of complication is minimal.
Ostertag is expected to be
hospitalized for two days after the procedure. If there are no complications,
the 29-year-old player probably can work up to his normal regimen in 4-to-6
weeks, Metz said.
Ostertag said he spoke
with Jazz vice president of operations Kevin O'Connor in March about the
procedure and that O'Connor was "really cool about it."
Ostertag, who has two
seasons and $16.3 million left on his contract, said coach Jerry Sloan is aware
of the situation.
Hall said her brother's
view is "Basketball's not as important to me as my sister."
"I don't think any
amount of money can replace a family member, or help them (the Jazz) in the way
he's helping me," she said.