11 days ago
ROSEVILLE, CA - She's a first-grade teacher, marathon runner, and one of the Sacramento Kings' most loyal fans.
Now, Jann Carlson can add "organ donor" to her resume. Carlson, 55, recently donated a kidney to her nephew John Mamula of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
"I never thought two ways about it. It was like, okay, where do I go?" said Carlson.
Doctors determined Carlson was a match for Mamula, who suffers from a rare disease that destroyed his kidneys.
She made the trip to Michigan three weeks ago along with her sister Kandee Mamula.
"It's really hard to put into words. She gave my son life. What can you say about that? She's my hero," said Mamula.
John Mamula said he is feeling much healthier after the transplant surgery. "I thought it was an amazing, generous gift. I was just very thankful and still really don't know how to show it," Mamula told News10.
Both sisters now hope to help spread the word about organ donation.
"We heard of thousands of people on the waiting list and blessed that we had a family member that was willing to give a kidney," said Kandee, who is a minister at a Roseville church.
Carlson said her decision was an easy one, knowing her nephew has a long, healthy life ahead of him. She plans to return to her classroom at Foothill Elementary School on December 7.
News10/KXTV
