Tom Hobin, the physical therapist at the Block Island Medical Center, had been considering donating a kidney for quite some time to an individual in need, but had no idea that his kidney would be a match with a close family relative.
“I learned from my step-daughter Alexia Pettit that her father-in-law needed a transplant. The father-in-law [Doug Courtemanche] was on the list to get one. We found out over a year ago, when I started the process of looking into it,” said Hobin.
Hobin had married Alexia’s mother Monique, and when Courtemanche met Hobin and his family, a conversation was struck on Courtemanche’s need for a kidney.
“[Tom] said he would love to be tested to be a match,” said Courtemanche, the recipient to Hobin’s kidney donation.
“I decided if it was a match, I would go forward with the process. It’s a very long process of screening and making sure it’s the right match,” said Hobin, noting he had to undergo such tests as blood work, physical and psychological exams, CT scans and genetic testing to make sure he was suitable as a donor.
Courtemanche had a kidney that failed two years ago, and had been
