Barbara Roden
Free Press
The Kidney Walk, which was held in 100 Mile House last month raised awareness about kidney disease and $1,455 for kidney research, was a very personal matter for local resident Dale Langford and his wife, Terry Larum.
In 1992, Dale received a kidney transplant, but early in 2014, he was told the transplant was failing and he would need another one.
Larum says that it was it was unusual that it had lasted so long.
“As transplants go, 15 years is the average. When the nephrologist [kidney specialist] in Vancouver heard it had been more than 20 years since the transplant, he said it was amazing.”
Since April of last year, Langford has been undergoing peritoneal dialysis for eight hours each night. He uses a “cycler,” a machine the size of a large desktop printer, which cycles fluid through his abdominal lining to remove waste products from his blood. Three two-hour cycles run each night while Langford sleeps and the machine would warn him if there is a problem.
Larum says the average wait time for a kidney is three to eight years.
“Two people came forward to be screened to see if they were a match. They weren’t, but they’ve gone on to the Paired Program list, which means they can be used as a donor for someone else in Canada if they’re a match. And the program could provide a donor for Dale.”
Larum notes it’s easy to register as an organ donor.
“Just go to www.transplant.bc.ca, enter your medical number and you’re done.
However, she adds communication around organ donation is not as open as it could be, since the final decision remains with next of kin, who can disregard the donor’s wishes.
“It should be something that comes up, that this person is an organ donor,” Larum says, adding that discussion comes up at a very difficult time.
“There should be a counsellor who comes and talks to the family. This is where the process falls down, and it’s something that needs more work.”
People who want to be organ donors need to speak with their family about their wishes, she says, adding it’s important for people to think about being living donors.
“If, as a living donor, you donate a kidney to someone and then need one yourself, you go to the top of the donor list. They look after you.”