Who would you give a kidney to?

Greetings:

I recently wrote a Day that ask the question, "Who would you give a kidney to?" The question was inspired by my friend Nan whose husband recently had a kidney transplant. The kidney came from Nan's husband's best friend. I was so inspired by the story that I thought I would share it with you.




GIFT OF LIFE BRIDGES YEARS, MILES
MOORESVILLE MAN GETS KIDNEY FROM LIFELONG FRIEND IN MICHIGAN
LENA WARMACK, LWARMACK@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM, SOURCE: CAROLINA
MEDICAL CENTER-CHARLOTTE, THE PKD FOUNDATION, LIFESHARE OF THE
CAROLINAS.

Mooresville resident Richard Davis found out in May that his kidneys were failing.

He had two options: undergo dialysis or seek a kidney transplant. He turned to his family and friends for support. His wife, Nan Davis, e-mailed about 100 friends and relatives to let them know.

"We weren't expecting anybody to step up," she said.

But nine people offered to be tested to see whether they could be a donor, including his brother Bob Davis. His blood type wasn't a match.

Then he found hope from a lifelong friend.

Davis and Joe Eckhout have been best friends since the second grade. They grew up two blocks from each other in Livonia, Mich., a suburb of Detroit.

In 1976, Davis moved away, eventually settling in Mooresville. But they've stayed in touch through weekly phone calls and occasional visits.

"He's just like my brother," Eckhout said. "He's always been there if I ever needed him and vice versa. It's always been a real close relationship."

Davis suffers from polycystic kidney disease, a genetic condition that afflicts more than 600,000 Americans, said Jennifer Robinson, a spokeswoman for the PKD Foundation.

There is no cure. The disease forms cysts on the kidneys and eventually overtakes the tissues and leads to kidney failure, she said.

Davis, 53, who has four adult children, was diagnosed with the condition 11 years ago. He tried to stay healthy through diet, exercise and controlling his blood pressure.

His father, who had the same condition, battled the disease for nine years, with grueling dialysis treatment three to four times a week.

Davis said he wanted to avoid dialysis. Davis' two sisters also have the same disease.

After Davis' brother was ruled out as a donor, Eckhout contacted his friend.

He said he'd be a donor.

In November, tests results showed that Eckhout was a match. They had surgery Dec. 12 at Carolinas Medical Center.

"You don't get too many chances in life to make an impact on someone's life as much as that," said 54-year-old Eckhout during a phone interview from Northville, Mich. "This was a huge thing for me to do for my best buddy."

After four hours of surgery and a few weeks of recovery, Davis said, he's overjoyed with the success of his operation. His friend's gift has only strengthened their bond, he said.

"It's really hard to put into words," he said, "how you feel about a person that would make this sacrifice."

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Lena Warmack: 704-987-3670, ext. 14.

Polycystic Kidney Disease facts

One in 500 Americans has polycystic kidney disease. Symptoms can include high blood pressure, blood in urine, lower back pain and loss of appetite.

Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte performed 138 kidney transplants last year. About 330 people are on the hospital's wait list for kidney transplants.

More than 2,000 people are on a wait list for kidney transplants in North Carolina.

78,400 people nationwide are on a wait list for kidney transplants.

Doctors prefer to use the donor's left kidney for transplants because the vessels are longer and easier to operate on during the four-hour procedure.

To find out more

For details on the kidney transplant program and how you can become a donor, call Tania Feemster, a transplant coordinator at CMC Charlotte: 1-800-562-5752. Also visit: the PKD Foundation: www.pkdcure.org and United Network for Organ Sharing: www.unos.org.