Normal Life Returns For The Wife Of Lions' Jones

For all of the big and small joys of Father's Day, having his wife, Son-Ja, well on the road to recovery from double organ transplant surgery is the best gift of all for Lions defensive tackle James Jones.

"She's able to live a normal life," Jones said. "She goes to the stores, goes shopping. She has energy."

Son-Ja had kidney and pancreas transplant surgery Jan. 4 at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Son-Ja had a diabetic condition and had been undergoing dialysis while awaiting an organ donor.

She was moved to the top of the list as her condition worsened. Since mid-October, she underwent dialysis three times a week.

Son-Ja had been living at the family's home in Davenport, Iowa. James commuted regularly from Detroit to spend as much time with her as possible. His weekly routine was to fly to Davenport the day after games and return in time for practice Wednesday.

James Jones spent the week with his wife before the Lions' 27-14 loss to Washington in the NFC wild-card playoffs Jan. 8. The Lions provided a private airplane for Jones to take him to Madison for the surgery, and also for the round trip to and from the playoff game.

James and Son-Ja are living with their daughter, Morgan, at the home they bought near the Silverdome last year, when James signed with the Lions as a free agent.

Son-Ja still must take close to two dozen pills a day to ward off rejection of her new organs, but it's nothing like the situation she faced a year ago at this time.

"Your diet's restricted," James said. "She can eat normal type of food, like fruit and stuff. It improves your lifestyle. Your body works so much better. You're not restricted. When you're on dialysis, when you go on vacation, you have to set up different places where you're going to get dialysis treatment.

"More than anything, when you're on dialysis, your body tends to break down. Your body retains more fluid. Your body is not functioning normally. It's going to take wear and tear.

"For most people who are on dialysis, a lot of times, when they go through the treatment process, it tends to wipe them out and takes a lot of energy out of them. It makes them tired."

James and Son-Ja are involved in some programs, such as the Jackson County Juvenile Diabetes Association and First Family Pledges of Arlington, Va., to help diabetics and to increase awareness for the need to have organ donors.

"It's best to discuss those things when it's not a time of tragedy," James said. "We've done a pamphlet for First Family Pledges. That's our mission right now. It's helping my family's life tremendously."

Son-Ja had to learn to live with a new lifestyle. And no one in the family is complaining.

"Technically, she's not a diabetic anymore," James said. "She has a pancreas that's working. She had to learn not to be a diabetic anymore.

"After 20 years of being a diabetic, it becomes part of your lifestyle."

This article posted June 24, 2000.