Reservist gives kidney to mother-in-law Published May 24, 2007 By Jasmine DeNamur 919th SOW Public Affairs DUKE FIELD, Fla. -- Nancy McDonnell had a 25 percent chance that one of her four daughters would be a match for a kidney transplant. When they came up negative to be donors, the least likely miracle came from another family member with no blood ties - one of her daughters' husbands. "Not one of her daughters matched her blood type," said Staff Sergeant Roberto Carrizales, 919th Communications Squadron ground radio journeyman. "I decided to go ahead and get tested, and amazingly, I was a match." Sergeant Carrizales' mother-in-law was diagnosed with diabetes last year and had been deteriorating in health ever since. Sergeant Carrizales was the only person in her extended family that was compatible. Once he found out, he didn't think twice about proceeding with the operation. "She's family. I didn't feel the least bit pressured to do anything," he said. After he endured an array of tests to ensure he was capable of going through the procedure, he was given the OK to do it. At a Chicago hospital on April 5, he went to the hospital, got his kidney removed and was released the next afternoon. "It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I've had about five weeks of recovery, and I feel no differences in my health. The doctors said I could live a normal life without a kidney - I don't have to take any medication for it, and now my mother-in-law is in a lot better shape than before," he said. In fact, Sergeant Carrizales recovered so well, nobody in his shop had the slightest idea what he went through. "I was skimming a local newspaper one day and saw the story. I saw a photo of him and realized that he was one of our troops," said Senior Master Sgt. Steve Chambers, 919th CS maintenance superintendent. "He did something major and thought it was no big deal," he said. "It's above and beyond. To me, it's a true example of the 'Service Before Self' motto that reservists are all about." Saving a life is a good feeling in itself, and the feeling is even greater when it's someone you love, said Sergeant Carrizales. In the eyes of Sergeant Carrizales, sacrificing a kidney was a small price to pay for the life of another person.