By Mark Greene

I was diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD) at the age of 11. The disease itself was the result of a congenital defect. I received a cadaveric transplant seven months later after spending several months on peritoneal dialysis. In 1984, I received a new kidney and I still have that same kidney today. Although I attribute this success to several factors, I still count this entire experience as nothing short of a miracle. After 23 years, I am also in the process of working with Donor Alliance Inc., to find my donor family. This is an event I am anxiously anticipating to say the least. And I dedicate this article to that family.

The journey that began in a crowded admissions area with a terrified 11-year old boy and his mother in a Denver hospital in September of 1983, is far from over. My mother thought we would travel to Denver (approximately 6 hours away) and be home within a few days at the most. I ended up staying in the hospital for several weeks. I was fortunate enough to be transplanted seven months later. This is where I believe the journey that has taken me to where I am today truly began.

Even though I am 34 years old now, the memory of the entire experience is as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. I remember the hospital calling our home late in the evening. My mom took the call. A suitable kidney had become available to be transplanted and I had to get to the hospital A.S.A.P. Of course, in all our jubilation we temporarily failed to acknowledge another mother had just lost one of her children and our happiness came at the expense of her sorrow and loss. Death creates life. It is one of the great paradoxes of the transplant experience.
We raced to the hospital, 350 miles away, and on March 29, 1984, at 3:00 p.m., I went into surgery.

Although I had two major rejection episodes after the surgery, I have managed to enjoy great health since. It has truly been a blessing. In January of 2005, I stood on top of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan in central Mexico. It is no small task for anyone to climb that behemoth monument. After catching my breath and letting my legs regain their strength, I stood there with my wife. Looking back, that was an incredibly symbolic moment. As a child, I was literally at death’s door because of this disease. And now I was standing on top of this great structure. We spent two weeks traveling through Mexico, from Mexico City to the Yucatan and back. We visited close to 20 Mayan ruins. I never would have had the desire or the physical strength without the miracle of organ donation. I would not have had this experience or other experiences like it without the decision families make everyday to donate organs of their deceased loved ones.

My life is such a miracle. I remember very distinctly standing in the doctor’s office some 23 years ago listening to the doctor tell my mother that had my condition not been diagnosed when it was, I would have been dead in two weeks. I just stood there. Mom cried. But that was then and this is now.

I have a wonderful, beautiful wife, full of life and energy. I have three young step-children who also have a lot of energy. I just graduated from college. I am also currently working on my master’s degree. I go on long walks with my wife. We have traveled all over the United States together. We’ve been to Mexico three times. We found our favorite spot in the world in a little town called Avalon on Catalina Island, CA. Life is full and it is rich. And I am a far cry from that emaciated, gaunt little boy who sat in that admissions room more than 20 years ago. Shortly before I was correctly diagnosed as a child it was all I could do to get out of bed or a chair. Walking made me dizzy and nauseous. I was far behind other children my age in what I was physically expected to do. Now I am healthy, active and optimistic about the future. My life is a blessing. It is a gift. Once again, none of it would be possible without the decision made by families who decide to donate organs of loved ones.

In the beginning of this article I referred to this entire experience, this process, as a journey. It is a journey because it is far from over. There are more experiences to have and many more things to accomplish. My life is like anyone else’s. I have experienced horrible disappointment and a true sense of loss. But I have also enjoyed great experiences and accomplishments. I am still young. Hopefully I have many years ahead of me. I don’t take my life for granted.

I want my donor family to know what their decision has meant. If people could simply understand the change for good that they could affect by this one decision to donate, we could marginalize, if not alleviate many of the problems faced by those needing transplants. My very existence is an example of the good that can be brought about through organ donation. It is my goal in life to experience life at its fullest, once again an opportunity made possible by those willing to donate. I thank my donor family for their courage. I thank them for their decision. I thank them for my life.

Mark Greene is a transplant recipient, husband and father of three, studying to earn a M.A. degree in Human Services.

This article originally appeared in the January 2008 issue of aakpRENALIFE.

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