After getting married in a courthouse in August 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Phil and Cherida Terrill did it one more time in grand fashion. A total picture-book wedding ceremony and reception took place in July 2022.
But soon after, joy turned into heartbreak when Cherida suffered a miscarriage from a failing kidney. She was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and learned her kidney was operating at only 30% of its capacity.
Shortly after the wedding ceremony, Cherida was advised by her doctor to begin dialysis and to start thinking about the possibility of a kidney transplant soon. Cherida revealed she was “embarrassed” by the news and decided to keep it to herself, attend dialysis, keep a low profile, and not involve anyone besides immediate family.
Why be embarrassed about a medical ailment? “I was embarrassed and frustrated because, on the outside, my life looked picture perfect. I just got married; we bought a beautiful home… Now I’m feeling like a sad story. I didn’t want to put all that negative energy on everyone,” she said.
However, within a few weeks, she got a visit from her father, David Youmans, who had taken matters into his own hands by making a public plea on Facebook. “My daughter desperately needs your help,” read the dramatic post. “Her kidney is failing, and we are looking for a donor. Here’s my contact information. Call me!”
“It went viral—no more privacy,” recalled Cherida. Her father explained that she had nothing to be ashamed of and that a closed mouth doesn’t get fed.
The response was overwhelming. From that post, over 200 people reached out to be tested as a possible donor match.
At that time, she was receiving care from the University of Minnesota, but eventually, she was transferred to the University of Wisconsin’s kidney transplant program, where she discovered a surprising kidney donor match: her husband Phil.
Ironically, Cherida recalled that in her wedding vows, she mentioned the possibility of being a kidney donor. Statistically, the odds of a spouse being a perfect kidney match is one in 100,000, according to an Erie County Medical Center report.
“I was a little nervous,” said Phil, “but I felt it shouldn’t have been anybody else but me.”
Everything began moving in the right direction until two weeks before the procedure, when Cherida was informed by her insurance company that she had exhausted all her funding for an out-of-state procedure at the University of Wisconsin.
That information devastated the families. It took months, but Cherida and Phil were eventually referred to the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in Minneapolis. Coincidentally, the first kidney transplant performed in the Midwest was performed at Hennepin County Hospital by Dr. Claude Hitchcock in 1963.
“The coordinators at HCMC were amazing. The process leading to the actual transplant was comprehensive and thorough. My husband accompanied me to all of my appointments,” Cherida said with a smile.
The first week in March, the couple’s families came together at the hospital for the life-saving procedure. After about five hours of prayer and nervous waiting, the Chief of Transplant Surgery, Dr. Mark Hill, entered the waiting room and said the five words everyone was waiting for: “The procedure was a success!” Everyone in the room erupted with loud sighs, deep breaths, hugs, and tears of gratitude.
As luck would have it, on that fateful day, the hospital was conducting random customer service checks throughout the facility, and CEO Jennifer DeCubellis, Chief Health Equity Officer Dr. Nneka Sederstrom, and Dr. Myriam Roby, health equity clinical outcomes director, visited the families.
So far Phil is recovering nicely, and Cherida’s health has improved dramatically because of the gift from her husband. Youmans, a quiet and stoic man, confessed to me, “When I saw Phil come out of the operating room, I broke down in tears. I couldn’t control it. I thought to myself this man saved my daughter’s life!”
Phil’s father, Tyrone Terril, said, “It was a miracle day. One for my son to be a donor and for the entire procedure to be successful.”
Youmans added, “Since the operation, they seem like they’re on a second honeymoon. They’re always smiling and laughing. There is no more sadness. They have a bright future ahead of them.”
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