Local man overcoming obstacles to ensure successful transplants

[okarol]

Local man overcoming obstacles to ensure successful transplants
By CHRIS TRAINOR/Senior staff writer
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 12:40 AM EST

As some likely know, those in need of an organ transplant often face long waiting lists, excruciating pre-transplant treatments, mounds of paperwork and screening and ultra-expensive medication costs.

They are obstacles that local resident Cliff Arnold has met head on.

Arnold, 44, is in need of kidney and pancreas transplants. The married father of one is working with the Medical College of Georgia and the Medical University of South Carolina to secure said transplants.

Meanwhile, numerous friends, family and local residents are pulling out all the stops to help Arnold raise the money required to purchase the medicine he will need once the transplants are complete.

As such, a benefit has been planned for Arnold and will take place from 5-10 p.m. Saturday at Greenwood Presbyterian Church on Calhoun Road.

The benefit will feature performances from four bands (5 Smooth Stones, Smith Brothers, All Things Good and You/R Sparkle Heart), a silent auction, a cake walk and barbecue and pizza dinners.

Benefit organizer Barb Brogan said tickets for the barbecue dinner will be $15 and tickets for the pizza dinner will be $5. Other concessions will also be available.

Late last week, Arnold spoke with The Index-Journal and talked a bit about his situation and the importance of organ donation.

“I’ve been a diabetic for 23 years and have been wearing an insulin pump for about 12 years,” said Arnold, who is employed by Lowe’s of Greenwood. “Finally, the diabetes took my kidneys from me. They failed. I found out I was in renal failure in April.”

Arnold said that a catheter was installed in his stomach about two months ago for dialysis. He said he does the fluid-based dialysis every night for roughly nine hours, with the dialysis machine performing five “exchanges” during the night.

Arnold said he is working independently with MCG and MUSC on the prospect of the transplants he needs. As such, he has gone through numerous tests and exams in order to make sure he is a good candidate for a transplant. He said the tests showed he is a solid candidate and, outside of the need for a new kidney and pancreas, quite healthy.

“Kidney transplants are quite common,” Arnold said. “MUSC has been doing about 170 a year. But the type of procedure they are doing for me is for a true Type 1 diabetic. What that means is that my pancreas doesn’t work at all. It doesn’t create any insulin. Some people, either through obesity or infection, can have Type 2 diabetes. In that situation the pancreas is creating insulin, the body is just not able to use it.”

While a kidney can be obtained through a living donor, a cadaver would be required for a pancreas.

“Unfortunately, going this route, I do have to have a deceased donor (for the pancreas),” Arnold said. “But, they are a little more stringent on the health of the donor when they are doing a dual transplant like that. So the opportunity for a better quality organ is there.”

While insurance is covering much of the work Arnold needs, money is needed to guarantee that he can purchase immunosuppresant drugs needed once he receives a transplant.

“I need to have $12,000 saved up and (MCG) is going to need to have proof of that,” Arnold said. “Even with commercial insurance they are saying I need $12,000 saved up.”

Arnold talked about organ donation and the benefits it can provide.

“It came to my mind how sad it it could be that someone has to lose their life for me to move on,” he said. “That’s a sad thought. But you realize over a period of time that these people have donated these organs, this was their intention. It’s sad, but it is that person’s intention. They donated the organs out of the goodness of their heart. They said, "I know I’ll be dead, but I know I want this to help someone else.’

Arnold said he appreciates the support so many in the community have shown him so far.

“Since we’ve started raising these funds, everybody has been so generous,” he said. “I don’t know how I could ever repay everyone for the kindness that has been shown to me. We are well on our way.”

For information about the benefit, contact Brogan at 388-2109 or jebscabin@hotmail.com, or Cherry Arnold-Ivey at 227-2025.

http://www.indexjournal.com/articles/2008/11/11/news/news10.txt