High-Octane Octogenarian

June 2024

If you are looking for a reason to stay fit, Sid Riley is a motivating force. He refuses to accept the notion that life is for the young.  When he fell ill and needed a liver transplant at the age of 75, his personal commitment to staying active tipped the scales in his favor.

Sid received a liver transplant in 2015 at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, and he is still going strong at 85. He continues to surprise doctors, his family and himself with how he has thrived since receiving the Gift of Life.

“I’ve had no hint of rejection,” Sid said.  “Of course, I’ve taken my medication religiously. My recovery was perfect. I think I was right on schedule every step of the way.”

Doctors at the UF Health Shands Transplant Center gave Sid a second chance at life when others would not. Each transplant program sets guidelines and makes its own decision about whether a patient is a good candidate for a transplant.

Sid said he is grateful that doctors at UF Health Shands Hospital gave him a second chance.

“It was because I was in such good health, other than my liver,” Sid said.  He came through his six-hour transplant surgery with flying colors.

“Another person’s liver is keeping me alive, and it’s hard to believe,” he said. “It’s just such a miracle.”

Sid is a bit of a Renaissance Man. He is a Georgia Tech engineering graduate, business man, international business consultant, pilot, political columnist, and former managing editor and part owner of the Jackson County Times newspaper in Marianna, Fla.

Sid was sidelined after he fell and cut his knee following a knee replacement. Doctors at a hospital nearby stitched his wound. Later he developed sepsis and was put on an antibiotic pump.  He spent a total of 90 days in four hospitals where doctors repeatedly drained fluid from his body.  To relieve pressure, a stent was put in Sid’s liver. When that didn’t work and his liver started to fail, doctors said he would need a new one to survive.

“I certainly was at death’s door,” Sid recalled.

Prior to his transplant surgery, Sid hadn’t missed working out a single day in 15 years.  Staying fit saved his life. After an in-depth evaluation, doctors at UF Health Shands determined that Sid was a good candidate for liver transplant.

“I’ve got nine great-grandchildren I would have never seen if I hadn’t had those years added to my life,” he said.  “It’s a wonderful thing.”

Sid continues to exercise, travel and play golf. He has remained active both physically and mentally. In 2021, he authored a book, “The Biography of John Wayne Mixson: Florida’s 39th Governor.”

Sid retired in 2014. Nowadays, he spends most of his time with the love of his life, Judy, their two adult children, Allison and Kelly, and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. On any given day, he is cracking jokes and living life to the fullest.

“I really appreciate the added time with my family,” Sid said.

Sid and Judy marked their 64^th wedding anniversary on April 17, 2024. They celebrated by sharing Sid’s donation story at a flag-raising event to honor organ donors at Jackson Hospital in Marianna, Fla.

“As you get older, family time becomes more important,” Sid said. “And, of course, I enjoy playing golf and the friends I have there, and going to the coffee club and the friends I have there. I also enjoy living in Marianna. You know, it’s a good life. My liver is like a new lightbulb in an old lamp.”

(By Kim Gilmore, LifeQuest Sr. Public Education Coordinator)