Two friends one kidney
Donation protected
The year is 1982 and two kids, one much smaller than the other, cross paths on a ball field in Brookville Ontario about 10 minutes north of Campbellville. Somehow, in that brief moment in time these two boys clicked and became friends. How well of friends was still to be determined but it was the beginning of what we are sharing with you today.
They say friends are like family and you sometimes do more for friends than you do family but never really think you will have to put that to the test.
Fast forward to 2012 and these two friends who are just as close now as they were when rug rats are now putting that theory to the test.
My husband’s best friend Kevin Caughill has become very ill with a disease called
POLLY-CYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE.
This is a terrible life threatening disease that slowly invades both kidneys with large damaging cysts. These cysts destroy the tissue and filters in the kidneys. The filters, as the name suggests, filter his blood and once destroyed the blood becomes "dirty ".
This "dirty" blood causes side effects of, high blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, gout, extremely itchy skin, fatigue, muscle and energy loss. The cysts grow nonstop filling his abdomen with kidneys weighing roughly 33lbs. The normal kidney is about 9cm long. Kevin's are both over 43cm long.
There are two steps to take to lengthen the life of Kevin and those are for him to be on dialysis or to receive a transplant. Dialysis is an awful thing to do and it shortens his life greatly.
This is where my husband Wayne Rear stepped up and put his friends are like family theory to the ultimate test and without a blink of an eye offered one of his kidneys to Kevin.
My husband has had a very rough life with the passing of his father at a very early age, being homeless as a teen and the worst of all the two of us suffering the loss of a child. Yet still with all that Wayne has gone through, he still had absolutely no hesitation helping his friend Kevin survive to see his children Katie age 10 and Zachery age 9 grow up.
This is the sign of a true man, a true friend and most of all a true HERO.
Kevin's first surgery is in September 2014 ,to have both kidneys removed to prepare for transplant , the actual transplant is roughly 2 months later in November 2014, is fast upon us.
I have just come off maternity leave and with Wayne soon to be off work ,only on EI medical benefits because his work doesn't offer benefits for such surgeries, we will be financially strapped. With the cost of daycare for 2 very small children, and all the other bills that don't stop, we are hoping you can help us out with kind words, words of strength and encouragement and any donations you can give to help us help Kevin through this very tough time.
Help us show that heroes do exist and that doing what's right will always be recognized.
Thank-you
They say friends are like family and you sometimes do more for friends than you do family but never really think you will have to put that to the test.
Fast forward to 2012 and these two friends who are just as close now as they were when rug rats are now putting that theory to the test.
My husband’s best friend Kevin Caughill has become very ill with a disease called
POLLY-CYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE.
This is a terrible life threatening disease that slowly invades both kidneys with large damaging cysts. These cysts destroy the tissue and filters in the kidneys. The filters, as the name suggests, filter his blood and once destroyed the blood becomes "dirty ".
This "dirty" blood causes side effects of, high blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, gout, extremely itchy skin, fatigue, muscle and energy loss. The cysts grow nonstop filling his abdomen with kidneys weighing roughly 33lbs. The normal kidney is about 9cm long. Kevin's are both over 43cm long.
There are two steps to take to lengthen the life of Kevin and those are for him to be on dialysis or to receive a transplant. Dialysis is an awful thing to do and it shortens his life greatly.
This is where my husband Wayne Rear stepped up and put his friends are like family theory to the ultimate test and without a blink of an eye offered one of his kidneys to Kevin.
My husband has had a very rough life with the passing of his father at a very early age, being homeless as a teen and the worst of all the two of us suffering the loss of a child. Yet still with all that Wayne has gone through, he still had absolutely no hesitation helping his friend Kevin survive to see his children Katie age 10 and Zachery age 9 grow up.
This is the sign of a true man, a true friend and most of all a true HERO.
Kevin's first surgery is in September 2014 ,to have both kidneys removed to prepare for transplant , the actual transplant is roughly 2 months later in November 2014, is fast upon us.
I have just come off maternity leave and with Wayne soon to be off work ,only on EI medical benefits because his work doesn't offer benefits for such surgeries, we will be financially strapped. With the cost of daycare for 2 very small children, and all the other bills that don't stop, we are hoping you can help us out with kind words, words of strength and encouragement and any donations you can give to help us help Kevin through this very tough time.
Help us show that heroes do exist and that doing what's right will always be recognized.
Thank-you
Organizer
Kelly Stevely
Organizer
Cambridge, ON
