[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 22, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         A HEROIC GIFT OF LIFE

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to inform my 
colleagues of a recent act of great charity by one of my constituents, 
Ms. Debbie Laakso of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
  In an astonishing act of kindness, the single mother of four donated 
a kidney to her friend and former boss, Verle Jucht. The odd twist is 
that Debbie and Verle met at John Morrell and Company where Verle was 
Debbie's supervisor. Though they separated as colleagues in 1993, they 
surprisingly remained friends for the last six years. When Verle's 
kidney began to fail last year, Debbie gave him hers. Knowing her 
jovial nature, Verle and his wife, Colleen, thought their old friend 
was kidding when she first offered to donate.
  Luckily, Debbie and Verle were a match, and after surgery last 
November, both are doing well. This story, Mr. President, is a great 
testament to the truly good and giving nature of people. I rise today 
to thank Debbie Laakso for her good nature and good humor and to 
congratulate her and Verle Jucht on their bravery and courage. Debbie 
serves as a model of goodness and friendship for all Americans, and 
their story is an account for all of the importance of the ``Gift of 
Life.''

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