Greg Lee is normally a quiet, reserved guy. But failing kidneys and five children – all under the age of 18 – have Lee speaking out and making himself known.
In November 2008, doctors told Lee that his kidneys were failing and dialysis was imminent without a kidney transplant.
With his diagnosis and future fresh in his mind, Lee began talking to family and close friends about becoming a kidney donor.
The McPherson resident said he decided to pursue a live donor because a live kidney donation will decrease the chances of him needing a second kidney transplant.
National statistics indicate that 96 percent of kidneys donated by a living person, related or non-related, are still functional at the end of one year, compared to 91 percent of cadaver kidneys.
Lee began talking to friends and family in hopes of finding a matching donor.
But few living relatives have left Lee empty handed.
Now, with doctors telling him he has no more than 12 months before he will need to begin dialysis, Lee has made the decision to take his search public. He shared his situation with co-workers at both his full-time job as a parol office and his part-time job at Tractor Supply Co. in McPherson.
And he isn’t stopping with co-workers. He’s taking his donor search to the media. A reporter with KSN Ch. 3 out of Salina has already broadcast a segment about Lee and his public search search to find a donor. And Lee he is hoping that putting his search in print will attract additional willing and potential donors.
“I figure the more people that know I need a donor, the more opportunities I will have,” Lee said of taking his donor search public.
Lee said he is also enrolling in the national online donor search, which will allow doctors to match him with potential donors from across the nation.
And at 49 years old, Lee said he is hopeful his efforts will net him a compatible donor and a new, fully functional kidney.
“I guess I will continue searching for a live donor, and will accrue time on the cadaver donor list,” Lee said.
In parallel to his ongoing search, Lee is completing the necessary medical work required to undergo a kidney transplant.
Dr. Peterson of Lindsborg completed Lee’s dental work and he is now working with area specialists for the other medical work-ups.
Doctors have told Lee that some of the required work-ups could actually do more harm to him kidneys, shortening the time he has left before he must begin dialysis and adding urgency to his search for a new kidney.
Some of Lee’s friends that were not compatable donors have established a bank account at Bank of America to provide any financial support they can. The public can donate to the fund, which will be used for Lee’s medical expenses.
Lee said anyone interested in becoming a donor must first fill out a living donor form. The form will be processed and the potential donor will be notified if they are a possible match.
Anyone with questions or an interest in becoming a donor can contact him at (620)755-5388. All donor information is kept confidential during the application and donor process.
Lee will have his transplant surgery completed at Via Christi Regional Medical Center in Wichita. The hospital has a transplant unit that performs about 1,000 kidney transplants each year. More information about Via Christi’s transplant center can be found online at www.via-christi.org. For questions or more information about the hospital or the transplant center, contact Jodi Wenz at the Via Christi transplant center at (316)268-5890.
McPherson, Kan. —
