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Student, Teacher Connection Leads To Kidney Donation

Celeste Marsh and Pernell Caster, who will both undergoing surgery Friday as Marsh is donating her kidney to Caster. Submitted photo

FREWSBURG — It’s plenty that teacher Celeste Marsh provides education to the children she is responsible for at Robert H. Jackson Elementary School.

However, Marsh will be going above and beyond her role as an educator Friday as she will be donating a kidney to a parent of one of the children she teaches.

The kidney Marsh is donating is going to Pernell Caster, who has dealt with kidney disease his entire life and started dialysis a year ago. Caster is the father of Grady Caster, a 12-year-old Marsh teaches.

“Grady deserves to have a healthy daddy and I wanted to help him have a healthy daddy,” Marsh, who is 59 years old, said about why she is donating one of her kidneys.

Marsh, a Jamestown resident, said she heard about Caster’s health issues and thought to herself, “Maybe I could help them.”

From left, Cathy, Pernell and Grady Caster are pictured together as a family. Pernell will be undergoing surgery Friday to receive a new kidney. The kidney donor, Celeste Marsh, is Grady's teacher at Robert H. Jackson Elementary School. Submitted photo

“And then I thought, ‘I couldn’t do that’ and then I said, ‘Why not,”‘ she said. “I reached out to the family on June 8 and called to let them know I’m going to try and be a kidney donor, and that is how it all started.”

Caster said he was “floored” by the call he received from Marsh saying she would like to donate a kidney to help him.

“It was overwhelming,” the Frewsburg said. “I had met her about six months before and briefly talked about (his kidney issues), but something had triggered in her mind that she wanted to donate or at least see if she was compatible.”

Marsh said she went through a series of tests at UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa. — which is where the surgery will be taking place — and in Jamestown before she was told her health was good enough to be a donor. She said it was emotional when she was told she was compatible to donate her kidney directly to Caster.

“Pernell and I don’t have matching blood types, but our blood type is compatible,” she said. “My heart was filled with joy to hear our blood types were compatible. I never thought it would work that way.”

Marsh said she was going to donate a kidney even if it didn’t go directly to Caster because it would have helped him move up the donor list.

“I would have done the donation anyway as long as it would have helped him in the long run,” she said.

Marsh — who is married and has three children, Aaron, Kaylee and Gregory, and two grandchildren, Dominic and Chad — said her family, including her daughter-in-law Karley, was surprised when they first heard the news that she wanted to donate a kidney. She said, since that initial shock, her family has been very supportive.

“They said, ‘Mom, if this is what you want to do, we will support you,’ and I knew that is what they would say,” she said. “My mom and sister have also been two of my biggest supporters as well.”

Marsh said she is anxious “in a good way” and wants to get the kidney donation done so Caster’s health can improve.

“We just want Pernell to be healthy,” she said.

Caster said his recovery time after the surgery will be eight months to a year because the doctors need to “knock my immune system down so I don’t reject her kidney.”

“My thoughts are, ‘I’m scarred.’ Anybody going through this type of surgery would be crazy not to be. I have good faith in the lord and he has gotten us this far, and he will get me through this,” he said.

Caster said his wife, Cathy, has been a trooper since he went on the donation list in January and started dialysis a year ago. He said if it wasn’t for Grady he wouldn’t be about to receive a new kidney.

“Celeste said, ‘Grady’s in need of his dad. If something happens to his dad and I didn’t do something I wouldn’t feel right,”‘ Caster said. “I tribute all of this to my son, Grady.”

Caster said he is allowing his story to be told in hopes it will shine a light on the need for people to donate a kidney. He believes there are 15 Chautauqua County residents on the Kidney Connection website — kidneyconnection.org — who need a kidney.

“That isn’t even counting many others who aren’t on the list,” he said. “We have a lot of people in Chautauqua County capable of donating. There are a lot of people who are going to perish early if someone doesn’t step up and help.”

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