Some gifts cannot be wrapped

  • Published
  • By Airman Mandy Weightman
  • 21st Space Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) --  An Air Force Space Command headquarters Airman helped save his brother-in-law’s life here.

Maj. Dave Holz, a plans and programs officer, gave a Christmas present that did not need wrapping. Rich Borsuk, Major Holz’s brother-in-law, was diagnosed with type-one diabetes 25 years ago as a 6-year-old boy. Complications later in life resulted in congestive heart failure, which led to kidney failure in 2003.

“His doctors wanted to avoid dialysis,” said Laura Beth, Major Holz’s wife and Mr. Borsuk’s sister. “Being the same blood type as my brother and not wanting to see him on dialysis, I started the process of being a living donor.”

Because of the condition of Mrs. Holz’s arteries near her kindeys, the transplant team would not accept her as a donor. The initial relief of being the same blood type was short-lived once she realized she could not be a donor, she said.

“The day I found out I couldn’t donate, I called home and my husband said he would begin the process for himself,” Mrs. Holz said.

Major Holz, started the research process to find out if an active-duty Airman could donate a kidney.

“Originally, I didn’t think I would be able to donate a kidney and still be able to stay in the Air Force,” Major Holz said. “But I searched the Internet and found an article in ‘Airman’ Magazine about an active-duty member who donated a kidney to a co-worker’s family member.”

After discovering that story, Major Holz said he found an Air Force instruction that authorized the donation, but it did not explain the process thoroughly. Airmen of the 21st Medical Group helped him with his research.

Major Holz soon found out his decision to donate a kidney was classified by the Air Force as an “elective surgery” and would not be covered by his insurance.

“Luckily, my brother-in-law’s insurance covered the medical costs of the donor,” he said.

The major said he was concerned about not being able to remain worldwide deployable if there were any complications. This would mean he would be medically discharged from the Air Force. The potential gain for his brother-in-law, however, outweighed the risk to his career, Major Holz said.

“The Air Force has been great as far as giving me time off for the donation,” he said. “I was given permissive temporary duty and convalescent leave for the whole affair.”

Before they knew it, it was time for the Holz family to get on a plane and head out to New Jersey, Mrs. Holz said. The surgery took place Dec. 22.

There were some complications with Major Holz’s surgery, but both he and Mr. Borsuk came out of the surgery doing very well, Mrs. Holz said.

“The hardest part of recovery in the hospital was actually getting up and walking,” Major Holz said. “I was supposed to walk two days after surgery, but didn’t really start until the third day. I started to dramatically improve after that and was discharged from the hospital four days after the surgery.”

Mr. Borsuk said he felt the difference right after surgery.

“I haven’t felt this good in close to seven years. I feel like a new man,” he said.

While Major Holz’s recovery consists of taking it easy, Mr. Borsuk’s is a bit more complicated.

“I have to monitor my blood pressure, blood sugars, fluid intake and outtake, weight and temperature,” Mr. Borsuk said. “I had no idea the kidney did so much for the body. Just about everything is run through them.”

He said his doctors told him he will be back to an “almost normal” routine in about 10 weeks.

Once home in Colorado, Major Holz said he did this for his children.

“I wanted to try and set a good example for them -- and make sure Rich is around to see them grow up,” he said.

When referred to as a hero, Major Holz said what he did for his brother-in-law does not come close to comparing with our deployed forces. They put their lives on the line everyday for people they do not even know. His wife and brother-in-law said they still see him as a hero, and Mr. Borsuk said he could not ask for a better brother-in-law.