Kevin's Blog

Original published at: Roundup Online

I recently had the honor of donating one of my kidneys to my brother Kevin. With a new kidney, Kevin has a new lease on life. Even without this kidney, my health after recovering from the operation is great. The donation experience has touched me tremendously. I would like to encourage others to become organ or tissue donors.

Before the surgery, Kevin’s life was pretty much on hold, mainly because he had to endure dialysis. This consisted of driving 25 miles to a clinic three times a week in order to have a machine filter his blood for four hours. The doctors inserted a catheter into his chest as a port to the machine. This catheter unfortunately became infected twice. Dialysis restricted his ability to travel. It also put a limit on how much water he could drink and what he could eat.

The kidney operation went very well for us, and now life for Kevin is the best it has been in 15 years. His new kidney began filtering his blood literally in the operating room, eliminating the need for dialysis. The color in his face has returned. He can eat foods like ice cream again.

In his own words just a month after the surgery, Kevin expressed that, “I’m feeling great. The new kidney is working well, and I am just chomping at the bit for more activity. It has really been a miracle how I have healed.” Kevin is now looking forward to the birth of a daughter in April and to becoming a father for the first time.

I should live a normal and long life with one kidney. According to the Congressional Kidney Caucus, one out of 750 people are born with only one kidney and usually do not even know it. People with one kidney actually have a longer life expectancy than those with two, according to my transplant coordinator. This is more than likely because we are motivated to monitor our diets. For example, we tend to limit salt intake more than the average American.

I have read so many interesting but often disappointing statistics about organ and tissue donations. One source is a powerful book entitled “The Gift that Heals.” In this book, which I mostly read during my three days in the hospital after the surgery, Reg Green tells the stories of several donors, including his own son. Nicholas Green was tragically shot during a family vacation, but his organs and corneas were successfully transplanted into seven Italians. According to Green, every day 18 out of the 100,000 people waiting for an organ die due to the shortage of donated organs.

How can you help reverse this unacceptable statistic and become an organ or tissue donor yourself? One way is to visit the Donate Life America website at www.donatelife.net. Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of race, age or medical history. In addition, for those of us at NMSU, we can keep an eye out for opportunities like the recent bone marrow drive held on campus and put on by the family and friends of leukemia patient Melissa Sterling.

Donors are divided into two categories: living or deceased. Living donors, like me, simply volunteer. Giving a kidney, a portion of another organ or even bone marrow requires an operation, but it shouldn’t have any long-term effects. Less extreme volunteering examples are donating blood or skin. Most donated organs come from deceased donors like Nicholas Green. Signing a donor card and a driver’s license with an “organ donor” designation is a start. However, you should still ensure now that your loved ones know your wishes.

Donating a kidney to my brother has brought us closer and given us both a new outlook on life. My friends joke that I should not have to give Kevin a birthday present for awhile. Why did I give my brother such an amazing present? In short, Kevin needed my extra kidney more than I did. I wanted to help save his life. The fact that my kidney is working inside my brother is a true blessing. My brother and I want you to experience this blessing as well. If you have not already, please consider becoming an organ or tissue donor.