It only took one to save my life…..

Joe and I

Our journey started back in 2015, when I was hospitalized 9 times and ultimately diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.  In May 2018, I was advised I would likely need a kidney transplant and should try to find a living kidney donor.  While Shelly stepped forward and underwent all the requisite testing, the last test in June 2019 disqualified her as a potential donor. 

In July 2019, our quest to find a living kidney donor began.  A few individuals made inquiries but the process is comprehensive and some of those individuals were not compatible or weeded out quickly due to various health issues.  There were, however, two candidates who did step forward and underwent the testing process after Shelly.

We are now truly fortunate that a sympathetic and generous individual has passed all the requisite tests and will donate his kidney in a transplant procedure scheduled for Thursday, September 24.  I found the one to save my life. 

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My donor, Joe, was not a close friend or family member. He is the spouse of a former business colleague who became aware of our challenge through our social media outreach and was motivated to find out more. He knew of a co-worker who had donated a kidney and decided to take the first step in the fall of 2019 to explore the possibility of becoming a living kidney donor. While initially unfamiliar with the process, the subsequent 4-6 months provided him the opportunity to become more informed which further strengthened his commitment to donate a kidney.

Joe has a strong sense of family. He is protective and supportive of his wife and four school-age children. His humility and calm nature are hallmarks of his strong character. He is an avid gardener, a runner, and a friendly neighbour. He is a keen listener and has a centered moral compass. When asked how he had come to be so kind and generous so as to want to donate a kidney, he turned the table and thoughtfully asked if I had ever considered the fact that he was being given the opportunity to bestow an act of kindness on someone else. His wife said it best – “He wants to show his kids the right thing to do.”

So what are we thinking about now?

As Shelly and I prepare for my surgery, we are thinking about a number of things including:

• the many pre-surgery appointments, blood tests, immunosuppression drugs and infusions needed to prepare for the transplant;
• the estimated week-long hospital stay, frequent clinic visits, medications and tests following transplant;
• my and my donor’s subsequent recovery at home during the fall and winter months at a time when the world is battling a global pandemic;
• the generosity of spirit of my donor and how we can ever pay forward the magnitude of his (and his family’s) act of kindness;
• the many others who suffer from Chronic Kidney Failure and their challenge in finding a living kidney donor.

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From the outset, we recognized the significance and enormity of our request. Our plea was not solely to identify potential donors but to implore others to help spread the word by forwarding the request to a broader audience outside our immediate network and helping advocate on our behalf. To all those who acted on our request to send out emails, to generate awareness through social media and to bring our challenge to the attention of friends and family, we thank you for responding to our plea; we really needed your help.

The actual kidney transplant surgery feels much less onerous than having to find a donor.

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Next Steps:    Once we get through the surgery and start the recuperation process, our hope and commitment is that others suffering from chronic kidney disease will have a broader network to rely upon without having to make the request directly.   

Please share this blog with others, your social networks, friends and family — because it only takes one — one donor, one kidney, one life to save.  

If you think that you or someone you know may have an interest or have some questions about the process, then please call: 

St. Michael’s Hospital Living Donor Transplant Team

(416) 867-3676

LiveDonorTeam@smh.ca

Contact us: 1kidney4eric@gmail.com