Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Interview With Richard Highbaugh, Arthur Highbaugh and Dr. Brian Haag
Aired January 01, 2003 - 07:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you know, they may not have been out in the streets with all those people that we just saw there, but two Indiana brothers are really having a happy new year this morning after they hit the jackpot last week. Now, we're not talking about the big lotto. It was still their lucky day, though.
You see, both gentlemen had failing kidneys and both of them got organ transplants at the same hospital on the same day. And the kidneys came in from donors in two different states.
Now, transplant patients Arthur and Richard Highbaugh and their surgeon Dr. Brian Haag join us this morning. They are standing by with us, as you see there, in Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. It's Brian, Dr. Haag, rather, on the left, and that is Richard Highbaugh in the middle and Arthur Highbaugh there on the right hand side.
And gentlemen, happy new year to all three of you.
Good to see you this morning.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH, TRANSPLANT PATIENT: Happy new year.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH, TRANSPLANT PATIENT: Happy new year.
DR. BRIAN HAAG, HIGHBAUGHS' SURGEON: Happy new year to you.
HARRIS: I've got to ask you two gentlemen, Richard and Arthur, how did you spend the new year's eve last night?
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Oh, it's hectic, I know that. It was really hectic.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Just trying to get to sleep, that's all.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Um-hmm.
HARRIS: I can't believe you would ever have imagined that you'd be in a hospital recovering from kidney transplants together on new year's eve.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Yes.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: No, no. RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Can you imagine that? I'm telling you.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Yes.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Going to the restrooms.
HARRIS: And that's a good thing. That's a great thing.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Yes.
HARRIS: Well, tell the -- for those who did not hear the story, you both have been waiting for some time, I believe one of you has been waiting for a few years longer than the other, is that correct? Tell us how long you've been waiting for these kidneys.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: I'll let Richard.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Well, I've been waiting, I guess, about five or six months. But I could have had mine earlier than that, but I canceled and everything.
HARRIS: Why?
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: So it's been -- yes, so it's been -- well, I was kind of discouraged, you know, at first. But with the insistence of my girlfriend and my daughter. So I decided to push it.
HARRIS: Well, Arthur, you, now, Richard, you say only you've been waiting for five months. Arthur, you've been waiting for a few years, correct?
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Well, no, actually my brother has been waiting longer, I mean from the standpoint that he's been on dialysis longer. But he didn't get on the list until after I did. And I think -- you were on how long, Richard?
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: I've been on dialysis for about 10 years.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: So, yes, so I just put it off, postponed it.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: I've been on dialysis for five years but I've been on the list for about, I think Dr. Haag told me 18 months.
HAAG: I did.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: I didn't know it was that long.
HARRIS: Well, you two gentlemen have both been on dialysis for years. You've been hooked up to machines for years. Tell us, those of us who have no idea what it must be like, what was it like to be, to wake up and have your first moments where you're not having to worry about being on a machine?
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Well, that's a wonderful feeling. You're kind of confined when you go on it. There are a lot of people there and you hear the stories and you're thinking -- well, I was thinking about a lady, an older lady the other day and she said she'd give anything just for to be free of it for a year or two.
HARRIS: Yes.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: But she's not able to.
HARRIS: Wow, that's phenomenal.
Dr. Haag, first of all, congratulations for being able to pull this off.
Now, were you conducting basically both operations at the same time?
HAAG: Well, interestingly, there were -- two donors became available, as you mentioned, in two different states. And we actually called Arthur in for an out of state kidney and then we called, when the other donor became available, then we called Richard in. We actually did three that day. We started with Arthur and then we had another one in between and then we finished the day with Richard.
So the three were conducted sequentially, not at the same time. I haven't figured out how to do that yet.
HARRIS: Well, listen, just what you did, that was a heck of a day at work. I don't see how in the world you can top something like that. But what do you think, what kind of a standard do you think this establishes after having pulled this off?
HAAG: Well, I mean I just think it's, I just think it's a great story. I mean it's the best story. I mean, you know, gosh, on a day when we have all this bad news about Iraq and Korea, I mean, you know, here in the Christmas season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and here last Friday, you know, you saw a miracle worked and these two lives of Arthur and Richard. And it's just the best Christmas story ever.
HARRIS: Well, boy, and you know something? You've got to feel very good for being part of something like that and being able to give a gift like that, Dr. Haag.
Congratulations to you.
And Richard and Arthur, before we get out of here, I've got to ask you, what's the first thing you guys are going to do once you get out of the hospital and get out on your own? Are you going to take a trip? Go out and just, go out and do something wild, or what?
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Well, I guess my first thing is I'm going to get some sleep.
HARRIS: Well, listen, whatever it is you do and hey, wherever it is you decide to do it, I don't care where you sleep here...
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: That'll be...
HARRIS: Travel around the world, that would be great for you.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Yes.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: That'll be a party for me.
HARRIS: There you go.
Well, listen, here's hoping the best for all three of you.
Congratulations and happy new year once again.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: OK.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Happy new year to you.
HAAG: Happy new year to you.
HARRIS: Dr. Brian Haag and Richard and Arthur Highbaugh.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Brian Haag>
Aired January 1, 2003 - 07:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you know, they may not have been out in the streets with all those people that we just saw there, but two Indiana brothers are really having a happy new year this morning after they hit the jackpot last week. Now, we're not talking about the big lotto. It was still their lucky day, though.
You see, both gentlemen had failing kidneys and both of them got organ transplants at the same hospital on the same day. And the kidneys came in from donors in two different states.
Now, transplant patients Arthur and Richard Highbaugh and their surgeon Dr. Brian Haag join us this morning. They are standing by with us, as you see there, in Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. It's Brian, Dr. Haag, rather, on the left, and that is Richard Highbaugh in the middle and Arthur Highbaugh there on the right hand side.
And gentlemen, happy new year to all three of you.
Good to see you this morning.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH, TRANSPLANT PATIENT: Happy new year.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH, TRANSPLANT PATIENT: Happy new year.
DR. BRIAN HAAG, HIGHBAUGHS' SURGEON: Happy new year to you.
HARRIS: I've got to ask you two gentlemen, Richard and Arthur, how did you spend the new year's eve last night?
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Oh, it's hectic, I know that. It was really hectic.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Just trying to get to sleep, that's all.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Um-hmm.
HARRIS: I can't believe you would ever have imagined that you'd be in a hospital recovering from kidney transplants together on new year's eve.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Yes.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: No, no. RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Can you imagine that? I'm telling you.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Yes.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Going to the restrooms.
HARRIS: And that's a good thing. That's a great thing.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Yes.
HARRIS: Well, tell the -- for those who did not hear the story, you both have been waiting for some time, I believe one of you has been waiting for a few years longer than the other, is that correct? Tell us how long you've been waiting for these kidneys.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: I'll let Richard.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Well, I've been waiting, I guess, about five or six months. But I could have had mine earlier than that, but I canceled and everything.
HARRIS: Why?
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: So it's been -- yes, so it's been -- well, I was kind of discouraged, you know, at first. But with the insistence of my girlfriend and my daughter. So I decided to push it.
HARRIS: Well, Arthur, you, now, Richard, you say only you've been waiting for five months. Arthur, you've been waiting for a few years, correct?
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Well, no, actually my brother has been waiting longer, I mean from the standpoint that he's been on dialysis longer. But he didn't get on the list until after I did. And I think -- you were on how long, Richard?
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: I've been on dialysis for about 10 years.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: So, yes, so I just put it off, postponed it.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: I've been on dialysis for five years but I've been on the list for about, I think Dr. Haag told me 18 months.
HAAG: I did.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: I didn't know it was that long.
HARRIS: Well, you two gentlemen have both been on dialysis for years. You've been hooked up to machines for years. Tell us, those of us who have no idea what it must be like, what was it like to be, to wake up and have your first moments where you're not having to worry about being on a machine?
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Well, that's a wonderful feeling. You're kind of confined when you go on it. There are a lot of people there and you hear the stories and you're thinking -- well, I was thinking about a lady, an older lady the other day and she said she'd give anything just for to be free of it for a year or two.
HARRIS: Yes.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: But she's not able to.
HARRIS: Wow, that's phenomenal.
Dr. Haag, first of all, congratulations for being able to pull this off.
Now, were you conducting basically both operations at the same time?
HAAG: Well, interestingly, there were -- two donors became available, as you mentioned, in two different states. And we actually called Arthur in for an out of state kidney and then we called, when the other donor became available, then we called Richard in. We actually did three that day. We started with Arthur and then we had another one in between and then we finished the day with Richard.
So the three were conducted sequentially, not at the same time. I haven't figured out how to do that yet.
HARRIS: Well, listen, just what you did, that was a heck of a day at work. I don't see how in the world you can top something like that. But what do you think, what kind of a standard do you think this establishes after having pulled this off?
HAAG: Well, I mean I just think it's, I just think it's a great story. I mean it's the best story. I mean, you know, gosh, on a day when we have all this bad news about Iraq and Korea, I mean, you know, here in the Christmas season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and here last Friday, you know, you saw a miracle worked and these two lives of Arthur and Richard. And it's just the best Christmas story ever.
HARRIS: Well, boy, and you know something? You've got to feel very good for being part of something like that and being able to give a gift like that, Dr. Haag.
Congratulations to you.
And Richard and Arthur, before we get out of here, I've got to ask you, what's the first thing you guys are going to do once you get out of the hospital and get out on your own? Are you going to take a trip? Go out and just, go out and do something wild, or what?
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Well, I guess my first thing is I'm going to get some sleep.
HARRIS: Well, listen, whatever it is you do and hey, wherever it is you decide to do it, I don't care where you sleep here...
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: That'll be...
HARRIS: Travel around the world, that would be great for you.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: Yes.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: That'll be a party for me.
HARRIS: There you go.
Well, listen, here's hoping the best for all three of you.
Congratulations and happy new year once again.
ARTHUR HIGHBAUGH: OK.
RICHARD HIGHBAUGH: Happy new year to you.
HAAG: Happy new year to you.
HARRIS: Dr. Brian Haag and Richard and Arthur Highbaugh.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Brian Haag>
