A Kidney for Harry, Baltimore Man Receives the Gift of Life From His Cousin
Courtesy of Baltimore Jewish Life.com
This past Chanukah, 50-year-old Baltimorean, Harry Burstyn (or “Happy Harry” as he is well-known), experienced a Chanukah miracle that made him really happy. He received an unexpected surprise gift from his 29-year-old second cousin, Yossi Burstyn.
“This all started about five years ago. I thought I had kidney stones, so I went for a routine x-ray,” said Burstyn, describing his medical condition. “They next injected me with iodine and did a CT scan—but because I’m a diabetic, this put me into kidney failure.” Burstyn spent a few days in the ICU, and when he was discharged, they told him that medication would help for the next 3-4 years, but after that he would need dialysis.
“Then last year, before the Yomim Tovim, my kidney function started getting much worse,” Burstyn said. “I spent 15 months in dialysis, and the doctors told me either I would need a kidney donation or else I’d need dialysis for the rest of my life.”
Burstyn’s wife offered to donate her kidney to her husband, but after 5 months of evaluations, she wasn’t a match for him.
Burstyn added, “We went back to the hospital then, and they told me that they’d put me on a list—well, that list was a 5-8 year wait.”
Not wanting to wait, Harry Burstyn decided to be very proactive. “I opened up a website on Facebook called, ‘Kidney for Harry’, and started handing out flyers at local blood drives.” Burstyn continued, “Rabbi Frand spoke about my plight in his annual Teshuva Drasha, and my Rav, Rabbi Motzen, offered to set up classes in the community to teach others about organ donations and Halacha.”
Soon after Burstyn went public with his request, several of Harry’s friends went for testing to see if they’d be a match. They were all ruled out. On July 4th, a total stranger from Hagerstown responded to Harry’s request. She was tested, but was not a good match.
“And then my second cousin, Yossi, volunteered to get tested. We had always been close as he was like a big brother to my children. Five months later, after extensive testing, we found out that Yossi was a good match for me.”
“My initial reaction was, ‘Sure, I’d take a blood test’,” said Yossi, “I really didn’t think too much that I’d pass the tests and be a match.”
When Yossi Burstyn found out that he was a good match for his cousin, he was nervous at first, but very happy to be able to help his cousin have a new lease on life.
On the sixth day of Chanukah, Happy Harry’s gift arrived!
Burstyn’s kidney operation took seven hours and was performed by a top physician in the field, Dr. Stephen T. Bartlett at the University of Maryland. (Dr. Bartlett made news headlines by performing a full face transplant in May, 2012). Harry remained in the hospital for 7 days, and his cousin Yossi was let out after two days.
“My wife has been very supportive,” added Yossi, “since after the surgery I can’t drive, take care of the children, etc., and she has taken upon herself to handle much more on her own until I have fully recovered. Besides for my very supportive wife, I could not have done this without the help of my father and mother in-law, as well as brother and sisters in-law; they were there to help when something needed to be done.”
Harry Burstyn expressed the same gratitude towards his wife. “She stood by me the entire time, and I couldn’t have done it without her support,” he said.
When asked what he plans to do with his new life, Harry Burstyn admitted that he’s not finished being proactive. “Thank G-d I have my health, now I want to help others.”
Burstyn is using his website to post requests for other people who are in need of kidney transplants. In fact, he is posting a request for a lady in Israel, who is in immediate need of a kidney.
Burstyn concludes, “Donating a kidney is one of the most beautiful blessings a person can give to someone else. Many people have become donors and recipients as well. Yet, over 500,000 people are still in need of a transplant. I’d like to urge everyone to learn about donating organs, and I’d like to see the Rabbis and Kollels teach more about the subject. “
To find out how to help others and to learn more about being a donor, go to the Facebook page, Kidney for Harry, or email him at