Amy Faure and Michael Crohan adopted their son Michael Crohan when he was four. Now 17 years later, Michael donated a kidney to Faure.

There’s an awe-inspiring story behind Amy Faure’s kidney.

First there’s the chapter about how she and her husband, Craig Crohan met. Both families lived in the Shorewood Forest housing development near Valparaiso. Both families were victims of burglary. Faure’s brother, Lloyd Stonewall “Stoney” Faure was killed during the break in on Jan. 6, 1981. Two perpetrators were found guilty of murder by a Porter County Superior Court judge.

“It was through the trials that Craig and I became acquainted. He was my brother’s friend,” said Faure. The couple married 39 years ago.

Amy is one of the last in a long line of the Faure family so she opted to keep her maiden name. She serves as President and CEO of Faure Brothers Corporation, Calumet City, IL. The warehouse management system was founded by her grandparents in 1906 and was later operated by her late father Emile F. Faure. Crohan serves as executive vice president of the company. Together the couple made a life around the family business.

Then in 2000 Faure’s acute kidney failure resulted in her first transplant. Her donor was the husband of one of the company employees. A year later the couple became foster parents.

“We were work-aholics and decided there was more to life. It was life changing,” said Crohan. Their first child was a four-year-old boy named Michael. They later adopted Tyler, 17; and Chris, 20.

In 2011, Faure again faced kidney failure and received a second transplant from a best friend. IU Health’s Dr. William C. Goggins was her surgeon. For nearly seven years, Faure’s life was back to normal raising her three boys, traveling and antiquing with her husband, tending to their two-acre lakeside property, planting flowers in some 100 pots.

Then her kidneys began to fail again. For 13 months she was on peritoneal dialysis 15 hours a day. She needed a new kidney.

Her youngest son, Michael wanted to be her donor. A strapping 6-foot, 190-pound athlete, Michael graduated from Wheeler High School in 2015 and went on to play football for the Manchester University Spartans.

“It was scary having him, one of my babies want to be donor,” said Faure. “When he talked to the social worker they asked if he was sure,” added her husband.

For Michael Crohan there was no hesitation.

“I was lucky enough to be adopted by the most amazing, caring selfless parents out there. So I grew up knowing about my mom’s kidney disease and I always told myself if there was ever a chance for me to give back to the ones that have given me anything and everything to change my life in a heartbeat, I would,” said Crohan. “When I found out I was a match I immediately called my mom and we both broke down in tears.”

On April 19, again under the care of Dr. William C. Goggins, Faure received her third kidney transplant.

“The way I look at my mom is she’s the closest person in my life so donating a kidney to her doesn’t only benefit her but everyone else in her life,” said Crohan. “She is always looking and worrying about everyone else first and this is an opportunity to make sure she is around for my wedding, when I have kids and other major events in my life. Donating a kidney to her means everything.”

— By T.J. Banes, Journalist, IU Health.
Reach Banes via email tfender1@iuhealth.org.