PORTLAND – A Dover-Foxcroft woman was given an early Christmas present Tuesday when she received a kidney transplanted from her mother.

Although Marlene Larrabee, 25, was experiencing some pain from the transplant Friday, it didn’t stop her from roaming the halls of Maine Medical Center to check on her mother, Susan Larrabee, who was recovering in another room.

“I am in pain, but I’m glad it’s over,” the mildly retarded young woman said Friday during a telephone call to the Portland hospital.

Her mother, too, was glad the ordeal was over. “It’s a big relief to know right away it [the kidney donated to Marlene] works,” Susan Larrabee said Friday from her hospital bed. Tests taken after the transplant indicated that Marlene’s body was accepting the foreign organ, she said.

Recalling a discussion the pair had before the transplant, Susan Larrabee, 44, said, “We were going to race to see who got out of bed first and she [Marlene] won,” she said. Her daughter was out of bed and walking the day after the transplant.

Although she won the race, Marlene quipped, “I’ve got the kidney that has more pain in it.”

Marlene Larrabee’s health had been deteriorating for weeks and she faced weekly dialysis treatments had a donor not been found. Tests indicated that the young Mayo Regional Hospital dietary worker’s two kidneys were functioning at about 15 percent of their capacity.

Larrabee, who inherited her kidney problem, was among about 150 people in Maine waiting for kidney donations from cadavers or from living donors when her mother stepped forward with the offer of one her kidneys. Had her mother not been a suitable candidate, three of Marlene’s co-workers were waiting in the wings to take the required blood tests and health screening to determine whether they could donate a kidney.

Once aware of her daughter’s plight, Susan Larrabee of Florida, a registered nurse, began the lengthy procedure of testing and an exhaustive examination to determine whether she could become a donor. It seemed urgent to her that Marlene have a transplant before dialysis because it increased the chances of a kidney lasting longer. The testing and examination are requirements to rule out any underlying problems, such as cancer and diabetes. Luckily, Susan Larrabee’s blood type matched that of her adopted daughter.

In the event that her mother’s testing had ruled her out as a transplant candidate, Medicaid, which provides Marlene Larrabee with her health insurance, would allow no other person to be tested. The wait bothered some of her co-workers, who wanted to expedite the process to give the young woman a fighting chance. They were relieved this week to learn that the transplant had been successful and that mother and daughter were doing just fine.

Susan Larrabee praised the hospital’s transplant staff, who she said explained the procedures thoroughly throughout the ordeal. “They were all great and wonderful,” she said.

She said she expected to leave the hospital for home late Friday. Marlene would remain at the Portland hospital for a few more days to ensure that her new organ continues to work as it should and her body does not reject it.

Susan Larrabee said she would not return to work for four to six weeks, and Marlene will require six to eight weeks of recovery time at home. Marlene also will be required to take immune-suppressant drugs for a lifetime.

But her chances for a healthier life have increased with the transplant. For Susan Larrabee, that is worth any risk. “You do it for your children,” she said.

“I want her to feel as good as she can possibly be.”