I was diagnosed at 25 years old. I was managing high blood pressure, but also experienced back problems and kidney stones. After extensive testing, a nephrologist diagnosed me with PKD. Thanks to medication, I lived a normal life as a father, husband, insurance broker, and little league coach for decades.
At 63, my glomerular filtration rate (GFR) started to plummet. My kidneys were rapidly growing, and my chest cavity was under tremendous pressure. I joined the waitlist for kidney transplant in 2016. My miracle kidney came from my son, Nicholas, the only one of our four children unaffected by PKD. Nicholas’ kidney allowed me to have more healthy years to enjoy with our family. As for Nicholas, he recovered well and is raising his own family in Eastern Wisconsin.
Now in my 70s, I’m dedicated to making connections and building a community that supports kidney health and organ donation awareness. I help plan Donate Life Month celebrations in West Bend, stay active with several kidney-related nonprofit organizations, maintain an organ donation display at my local DMV, and I’m a regular volunteer with National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin and Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) screenings.
When someone asks why they should become a donor, I tell them, “It’s going to be life-changing for everybody. As they say, you can’t take your organs to heaven, so you might as well use them on earth, right? You only need one kidney to function, and if you can create more miracles, more miracles are needed!”