LaTanya Foster Kidney transplant

LaTanya

A kidney was available for LaTanya in spring 2006, but she was ineligible to receive the lifesaving transplant because she was overweight. The former Delphi Packard employee underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, known as lap-band surgery, at Summa Health System’s Bariatric Care Center in Akron, and is now down to about 200 pounds. She said she will be looking for a job after her transplant.

The 1992 graduate of East High School said she has received great support from friends and family. She has a sister, Anna Foster-Jacobs, of Youngstown; and two brothers, Willie Foster, of Youngstown and Frank Foster Jr., of Pickerington, Ohio.

LATANYA Quotes

I’m a young woman. I want to get married and have children. But it would have been too dangerous for me and the child without a transplant.

I used to get upset to have to disturb my good sleep and get up and go to the bathroom. Now, I’d give anything for that to happen.

So far, Christy is a perfect match for me. When the doctors told her she was a match, she called me and she was crying. She kept saying “praise the Lord LaTanya — we’re a perfect match.”

The donor

Christina “Christy” Crocker, 36.

Formerly of Mercer, Pa., she now lives in Grove City, Pa., where she is a counselor/parent, with her husband, at George Junior Republic.

Education: Mercer High School, 1991; Mount Vernon Nazarene College, Mount Vernon, Ohio, where she graduated in 1995 with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and youth ministry.

Family: Husband, Dwight A., 35, grew up in Fredonia, Pa., and graduated from Lakeview High School in Sandy Lake, Pa. He received a bachelor’s degree in art education and psychology from Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pa.

Children: In the process of adopting.

Parents: An adoptee herself, her parents are: Katherine and Larry Hale, of Grove City; Martin and Debbie McDonnell, of Weedville, Pa.; and Jerry and Wendy Perrine, of Jacksonville, N.C.

Christy Quotes

To me, it’s giving back because God gave such a wonderful miracle to us. We didn’t know it would be a match. ... It’s a miracle.

God did it. He made her stand out to me, made our blood compatible and made us friends.

The go-between

The Vincent and Rebecca Mariano family, of Girard.

Their son Timothy Mariano became acquainted with LaTanya and told his family about her. His brother Anthony had a kidney transplant in 2005. The donor was his father, Vincent.

Anthony’s mother, Rebecca, because of her experience raising money for her son’s transplant expenses, has offered to help LaTanya organize fundraisers.

Other Mariano children: Son Gary, and two daughters, Andrea Sweitzer, and Amy, who died in 2006 at age 27.

Rebecca Quotes

I tend to forget that my son had a transplant because he is doing so well. We’ve been blessed.

Tony took LaTanya to our church. Christy heard of her and decided immediately to give her a kidney. We didn’t know LaTanya before. It had to be a God thing.