WARRINGTON, Robert 1974

WARRINGTON

Posted By: K. Kittleson
Date: 8/17/2009 at 15:49:37

St. Ansgar Aids Brothers
With Kidney Disease Cost

By JACK HOVELSON
Register Staff Writer

ST. ANSGAR, IOWA -- The 994 citizens of St. Ansgar, plus a Few hundred others from nearby communities have united to aid two families whose lives are being disrupted by kidney disease.

Robert Warrington, 31, of St. Ansgar, last summer was stricken with the disease that forced the removal of both of his kidneys early in November. Since then, his wife, Lorraine, has been taking him three times a week to the hospital at Rochester, Minn., for six to
eight-hour sessions on a kidney dialysis machine.

Next week at the Rochester hospital, his brother, Larry Warrington, 36 of St. Ansgar will donate one of his kidneys to Robert.

$30,000 Cost

The operation, plus all the attendent medical expenses will cost an estimated $30,000. Federal Medicare arid Iowa State benefits for kidney patients probably will pay most — perhaps, virtually all — of the medical costs for both brothers, according to an official at the Kidney Foundation of Iowa in Des Moines. The families, however, still are destined to suffer financially — largely through loss of incomes — and this is what prompted the Warrington Brother's Day" last Saturday in St. Ansgar.

Between 8 a.m. and midnight, the Mitchell County town was a beehive of events as practically every organization, church and individual got involved in raising money in some way for the two families.

The Cub Scouts led off by delivering donation cans to all business places. The American Legion Auxiliary, the Garden Club, Women's Club, We-tan-ye Club and individuals donated the goods for bake sales.

The 4-H Clubs here put on a gigantic rummage sale in the school bus barn. St. Ansgar firemen sold rides on the firetruck for a quarter. The Catholic Church hosted a soup supper. Other churches took up collections.

Gambling Casino

Armed with a license making it legal, the Jaycees had a gambling casino. Girl Scouts manned telephones to accept money pledges. Saturday evening, 1,500 persons paid $1.50 each to attend a 34-act talent show at the high school auditorium. So many wanted to participate that potential acts had to be turned down.

The Warrington Brothers Day was the idea of St. Ansgar grocery store operator Dennis Fossey. He proposed it to the Lions Club, and it grew from there.

"I was hoping that we could raise $5,000. Some people said we'd be lucky to get $3,000," said Fossey. By Tuesday, as receipts kept coming in, the Warrington fund neared the $6,500 mark, he said.

Harland Libersky, St. Ansgar State Bank official and treasurer of the Warrington fund, said that one rural church several miles from St. Ansgar collected more than $300 and I don't think that one out of 10 of its members know the Warringtons."

Chances Reduced

Robert Warrington also suffers from diabetes, a condition that reduces the chances that the kidney transplant from his brother will be totally successful.

"We are aware," said Fossey, "that at least a good share of the Warringtons' medical expenses will be taken care of by the government. But, there are other expenses. We'll give the money to the families to use as they need it.

"It's sort of like moral support from the community . . .it'll give them some money in the bank that they know is there to use when that need comes."

Larry Warrington, the kidney donor, said, "We just don't know how we can ever thank this community enough for what it did for us Saturday. It was just a wonderful day."

Until last January, the brothers were partners in a construction firm that specializes in smaller projects. Robert sold his shares of the business to Larry and went to work for a cement ready-mix firm here. Robert has been unable to work since June.

Larry Warrington said that after he donates one of his kidneys to Robert, he will be unable to work for 10 to 12 weeks, and only on a limited basis for some time after that, providing all goes well.

Reduced Basis

His construction business, he said will continue with two employes on a reduced basis during the interim.

Robert Warrington's wife works at a nursing home here. The couple has two children, ages six and three. Larry's wife, Lillian is employed at Fossey's Grocery Store. The Larry Warringtons have four children ages 11 to 15.

"You hate to see families have this happen to them, but it seems to take something like this to bring a community together," Libersky said.

Fossey said he was aware that his idea could raise the question: If we do this for these families, then won't we have to do it for everyone here who comes up with a serious medical or financial problem?

His answer, "If you don't help one person, you're not helping anyone."

Fossey said further, "The talent show was such a success that I'm going to propose to the Lions Club that we do it every year, with the proceeds going into a special fund that can be used to help families that get into situations like the Warringtons."

Des Moines Register
Wednesday, November 27, 1974