McMillan may donate kidney to mom

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, January 15, 2002

By Rich Myhre

Herald Writer

SEATTLE – In her lifetime, Nate McMillan’s mother has made countless sacrifices for loved ones.

Now her children – including McMillan, head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics – and other members of the extended family would like to give something back.

They are offering the gift of a potentially life-saving kidney transplant.

“I would do that,” McMillan said.

McMillan was back at practice with the Sonics on Tuesday following a five-day visit to Raleigh, N.C., where his mother, 59-year-old Jeannette Tyson, has been “in and out of the hospital since Christmas.” Mrs. Tyson, who has been receiving kidney dialysis for the last 2 1/2years, has also suffered from high blood pressure.

Her condition had deteriorated in recent weeks, “and all I knew was that she was in bad shape,” McMillan said. “My brother had never seen her like that.”

Last Wednesday, after the Sonics finished a three-game Midwest road trip with a game at Minnesota, McMillan did not return to Seattle with the team. He stayed the night in Minneapolis, then traveled to Raleigh the next day.

His decision to return home was hastened by some previous experiences with other ailing family members.

“I had some relatives, some aunties and uncles, and they were ill and in the hospital,” McMillan said. “They died before I could get home. That happened three times. I would be coming home and I’d be talking to them on the phone and they’re OK, but before I could get there they passed away.

“So for me this wasn’t a choice,” he said. “I was going home to see what was going on.”

During his surprise visit (“She didn’t know I was coming,” McMillan said), the prospect of a kidney transplant was discussed by family members and doctors. The operation is essentially one of two options facing Mrs. Tyson. The other choice is continued dialysis treatments, which require multiple hospital visits of several hours each week.

Sometime in the coming months, McMillan expects to be tested to determine if he is a suitable donor. Other family members will do the same, and whoever is selected would then undergo extensive tests to evaluate the level of risk.

“I’ve asked a lot of questions about this,” he said. “All the doctors I’ve talked to – I’ve talked to our (team) doctors here and I talked to doctors back (in Raleigh) – and they all were basically saying the same thing. There is risk involved, but as long as you check out – and they run you through all kinds of tests – then you’re OK to donate.”

Doctors would also want Mrs. Tyson to promise certain lifestyle changes prior to surgery. She needs to restrict her diet by avoiding salty and fatty foods. She needs to eliminate the occasional cigarettes she smokes. And she needs to be more diligent about exercise and proper rest.

McMillan and his siblings “have been trying for years” to help her make changes, he said. “But for those people who were born back in the 40s and grew up in that era, they’re set in their ways. It’s hard for them to break those habits.

“She’s a lady who has been working her whole life, so for her to slow down is hard. She’s so used to having to do things and taking care of the family, so that even though the doctors tell her certain things to do and she can do them for a week at the most, then she’s back to her old ways.”

As it turns out, the biggest obstacle to transplant surgery may be Mrs. Tyson herself. With her usual selflessness spirit, she opposes the idea.

“She doesn’t want one from her kids,” McMillan said. “She doesn’t want to jeopardize her kids who are young.”

If McMillan does participate in the transplant procedure, it would be the second such instance involving an NBA figure in recent years. Sean Elliott of the San Antonio Spurs received a kidney from his brother on Aug. 19, 1999, then returned to pro basketball for the 2000-01 season.

“I’ve thought about that situation a lot,” McMillan said.

During Tuesday’s practice, McMillan had his usual bark with his players, but later he seemed subdued while talking with the media. He was affected, no doubt, by the stretch of days he spent by his mother’s hospital bedside.

“There are so many people that need transplants,” McMillan said. “We need people to donate their organs. It’s amazing the amount of people who are in that situation, that same condition. They are able to live, but they are struggling. They spend the majority of the rest of their lives in the hospital, and it won’t change until they can get someone to donate organs. Those doctors, they have their hands full.”

As for his mother, “she’s in a situation now where each day is a challenge,” he said.