Published on Sunday 20 May 2012 09:27

A FATHER-OF-TWO who almost died from kidney failure has been given the gift of life by his kind-hearted cousin.

Nigel Tomlinson, of Bowness Road, Padiham, was found to have polycystic kidney failure and needed a transplant to save his life.

The 43-year-old waited three years for a dead donor while he kept himself alive with hours of painstaking dialysis treatment every day.

The hereditary condition reduced the powerful 6ft 7in. former bodybuilder to an “old man” and his partner Sharon Bleasdale, feared the worst when his kidney function dropped to just 4% and he even “died” 15 times during dialysis when his blood pressure dropped to zero and his heart stopped.

But his cousin Chris McGowan (44) (above left) stepped in to put himself up as an organ donor and gave Nigel a new kidney and a new life.

His family are now appealing to more people to put themselves forward for potentially life-saving organ donation.

Former civil engineer Nigel, whose mum and grandma both died young from kidney failure, spoke of his three-year hell with the condition.

“I was a prisoner in my own home for three years. I had been such an active man but I couldn’t even walk upstairs. I went from normal levels to just 4% kidney function and went from 17 stone to 11 stone in a month. That is almost at death’s door.”

Sharon did four months training at Chorley Dialysis Unit to be able to treat Nigel at home. She said: “He was doing five hours of dialysis every other day. He has crashed and died on me about 10 or 15 times. Without the training and support of Chorley there would be no way we got to where we are. They are amazing”.

Father-of-three Chris put himself forward as a live kidney donor along with other friends and family. He said: “I just thought that I cannot let him die at 43. I didn’t even have to think about it I just did it. It is about people giving the chance of a new life to others. I would do it all over again.” Nigel, who is out of hospital and off dialysis, said: “It has changed my life unbelievably. If he had not done the transplant I would have been dead by now. There are so many more people’s lives that could be saved from organ donations.”

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Lessons two young women learned at a youth camp didn't just bring them together -- those lessons helped save a life through organ donation.

Rachel Summerlin, 22, and Jasmin Williams, 23, are both graduates of and staff at the Tennessee Teen Institute, a camp for youth ages 13 to 18 from across the state. The camp's goal is to teach teens alternatives to drug and alcohol abuse, said Barry Cooper, director of JACOA, which helps organize TTI every year.

Those lessons about drug- and alcohol-free living stuck with both, particularly Summerlin. Because she had a healthy body, she was able to donate a kidney earlier this year to Williams.

"The whole gist of us meeting and the reason I could give a kidney is because in my freshman year of high school, I had a drug problem," Summerlin said. "TTI came into my life my sophomore year and changed me. I got stubborn about my decisions because you sign a year-long contract at TTI saying you won't use or abuse drugs or alcohol. And I don't break contracts. If I hadn't stopped, I wouldn't have been able to give, or even meet Jasmin in the first place."

In 2009, Williams was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, but doctors didn't know why the otherwise-healthy young woman's kidneys were failing. The disease is normally caused by diabetes or high blood pressure and Williams had neither, she said. She went on dialysis and the organ transplant list soon afterward. She lost 130 pounds.

"I was on dialysis for three years," she said. "My doctors don't know why my kidneys just stopped working."

Her illness was something she kept private. When she attended her first TTI camp in 2010, she told no one except for a couple of staff members so she could leave for her daily four-hour dialysis. She did the same thing at last year's TTI.

"I just didn't want to be treated as special for this, so I didn't tell anyone," she said.

Being on the organ transplant list caused some conflicting emotions, Williams said.

"I was waiting for someone else to die and I didn't like that. So I prayed to God that he would bring me someone who could be a living organ donor," she said.

That's when Summerlin showed up. Kristi Townes, director of TTI, said last year was the first time JACOA held a fall staff retreat, to get the students motivated for next year's camp.

"It was by a complete fluke that this happened," she said. "Jasmin wasn't supposed to be at the retreat, but a last-minute cancellation allowed her to come. And we'd never had one of these retreats before. That's how they got to this point -- this happened for a reason."

Williams was giving herself home dialysis treatments on a smaller machine, which she left in her cabin at the retreat. Summerlin walked in on her in the middle of dialysis and asked what was wrong. At first, Williams said "nothing."

"Rachel saw me and asked what was up. So I told her I was on dialysis," she said. "And she was like, ’What can I do to help you?' And I said, ’I need a kidney.' She said, ’Take mine.”'

Summerlin said it was a fast -- and easy -- decision. She wasted no time once she got home from camp to call Vanderbilt Medical Center to be tested as a match.

"I did it because at TTI, we're family," she said. "I didn't think twice about it. The next Monday, I went to get tested."

A week later, she got the results back: She was a match. Her first thought after a quick celebration was scheduling the surgery. But the hospital's transplant committee had to meet and approve the procedure first. So Summerlin called Williams on Dec. 26 to tell her the news.

"I got the call the day after Christmas. They let Rachel call me to tell me, which was great," she said. "It was a good Christmas present. I remember screaming into the phone and then thinking I had to call Ms. Kristi."

On March 27, Williams received a new kidney. She and Summerlin were in the same hospital and their rooms were next to each other. The day before surgery, both women spent time at Wal-Mart, buying coloring books and crossword puzzle books to keep them entertained in the hospital.

The morning of the procedure, they were both up early -- too excited to sleep. Everything went well, Williams said.

"The doctors said the kidney immediately started working. Usually they have to wait an hour or two to see how it's going," she said. "And at first, I had to take seven pills a day after surgery. Now I take just one pill twice a day. It's my rejection pill and that's all I have to take."

Upon hearing that news, Summerlin high-fived her friend.

"They predicted she would have to take at least two pills every day for the rest of her life," Summerlin said. "So that's just awesome."

Townes said camp organizers hope both women can share their story at this year's TTI, which is June 10-15. Since they met at TTI and applied life lessons from the camp, the story has a deeper meaning, she said.

"Their story spilled over into other TTIs in Ohio, Kentucky, all over," she said. "We had people asking us for updates and to hear the story."

Williams is a junior at Lane College with plans to attend medical school in Memphis. She dreams of being a pediatric nephrologist so she can work with children who have kidney disease.

"If I hadn't listened at TTI and started doing drugs, I wouldn't be allowed to go on the transplant list," she said. "And if I was on drugs or alcohol, then my liver would've failed, too. But here I am, and I'm happy. Now I can do whatever I want."
 

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It's a performance with a purpose.

That's how artistic director Denise Adams likes to think of Encore 2012, which takes place Tuesday through May 27 at Bradley University's Hartmann Center.

It's the latest installment of the annual performances by the Morton Civic Chorus to support the Central Illinois Memorial Kidney Fund, which helps 800 patients within a 100 mile radius with extra expenses associated with kidney dialysis.

The fund has been in existence since 1976. The Morton Civic Chorus has been helping kidney patients since 1972, when one of its own members suffered from kidney failure after having transplant surgery.

In 2004, the fund reached the one million dollar amount in money raised since its beginning in 1976.

"We try to raise over $50,000 each year," Adams said. "It's such a good cause. You are guaranteed a couple of hours of really good entertainment, a lot of variety, fast-moving, fast-paced, a feel-good show. But again it is with a purpose. It's dialysis patients right here in town. Which is really nice that you're helping local people right here."

Titled "Fun, Food, Faith and Friends," the show features 58 performers and divides itself into a number of themes. There's a mock food court featuring dining experiences from all over the world (one of the featured songs is "Be Our Guest" from Walt Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"). There's a barn dance sequence with some square dancing. The friends section features songs about love and songs about relationships. Finally, there's a section devoted to sacred music.

"There are tons of good choirs in town, but the fact that we present our shows in a multisensual way (makes us unique)," Adams said. "There are lots of interactive things between the people. People come from different places. You never know if they're going to move around or where they're going to be. Things change so much."

Adams has been leading the chorus for 28 years, and brings much experience to the post. Together with her husband, Lee Wenger, the WCBU-FM 89.9 public radio personality, she has been involved in many community theater productions through the years. She also has served as a music teacher for 32 years, most recently at Peoria High School.

What keeps Adams leading the chorus, year after year?

"The opportunity to be so creative," Adams said. "It's a wonderful venue over at Bradley. I have a lot of people who have been doing this with me for 20 years."

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What: Musical revue featuring the Morton Civic Chorus, under the direction of Denise Adams. The show raises money for chronic kidney disease patients. Dale Burklund will serve as honorary chairman for this fundraising event.

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. May 27.

Where: Bradley University's Hartmann Center Theatre on campus.

Tickets: General admission is $15 for adults and $12 for senior citizens and groups of 15 or more. For more information or tickets call 677-4966. Tickets are available at Barnato's Pharmacy in the Shop N Save Grocery Store, Kidder Music on Crestline Drive or Morton Community Bank in Morton.

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Gary Panetta can be reached at 686-3132 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Follow him on Twitter at GaryPanetta.

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St. Alexius Medical Center’s Kidney Dialysis Units (KDU) in Bismarck, Dickinson and Williston were recently recognized by the Renal Network of the Upper Midwest, Inc’s, as 5-Diamond facilities for their patient safety program. The goals of the 5-Diamond program are to build a patient safety culture, promote patient safety values, create an awareness of patient safety issues, and to help dialysis units learn more about specific areas of patient safety.

The Renal Network of the Upper Midwest believes it is important for each dialysis facility to incorporate patient safety into their organizational culture. To help promote patient safety values, Renal Network 11 has implemented the 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program. The focus of this program is to help dialysis facilities better implement patient safety principles among both staff and patients.

St. Alexius Medical Center is a 306-bed, full-service healthcare system offering a comprehensive line of inpatient and outpatient medical services, including: a Level II Emergency and Trauma Center, primary and specialty physician clinics, durable medical equipment services and ancillary services throughout western and central North Dakota. Since its founding in 1885, St. Alexius has been recognized with numerous accreditations and awards including: The Joint Commission, Blue Cross Blue Shield Centers of Excellence Awards and “50 Best Hospitals in America” by Becker’s Hospital Review.

Tags: health care, updates

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