Brainerd man searches for a kidney donor

Brainerd man searches for a kidney donor
Posted: January 7, 2011 - 7:05pm

By JODIE TWEED
Staff writer

Kirk Norstrom has two wishes - to find someone willing to donate a kidney to him and to warn others, particularly young men, about the dangers of not managing your diabetes.

At 37, Norstrom is one of the youngest residents at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd, where he has lived for the past three years. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 15 months old. Norstrom said despite warnings from others who struggled with diabetes he never really kept his diabetes under control. He is a 1992 Brainerd High School graduate.

"I never really took care of it," Norstrom said. "I don't want people to make the same mistake."

Norstrom's kidneys failed in October 2006 and he was placed on dialysis. He continues to undergo dialysis three hours a day, three days a week, but dialysis is rough on his body. In December 2008 he suffered a stroke, which caused his blindness.

The stroke occurred when Norstrom felt he had found what he wanted to do. He was attending Oak Hills Bible College in Bemidji and had been considering becoming a pastor or youth pastor.

Norstrom said the staff at Bethany have been good to him, but it's hard to be so young living with elderly residents.

"It isn't a bad place to live but it makes it really hard because they have activities geared toward older people," Norstrom said.

Norstrom said specialists at the University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital have told him that he needs to find his own kidney donor. He isn't eligible to be placed on the waiting list for a cadaver kidney, a process that would still take 3-5 years, because of his medical condition.

Norstrom and his mother, Diane Norstrom, have been out searching for anyone who would be willing to donate a kidney.

"I'm just kind of weak all the time," said Norstrom. "I'd like to get my life back in order."

Norstrom said the staff at Bethany has worked with him to keep his diabetes in check, which has been beneficial. He spends his days listening to music and books on tape, watching television and visiting the nursing facility's coffee shop. He said he would enjoy having visitors, especially younger adults, on the days he doesn't have dialysis, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Friends who used to visit don't stop by anymore.

"I'd love as many visitors as I can. It gets boring here for me," said Norstrom.

Norstrom previously worked for six years in the mailroom at the Brainerd Dispatch and has worked as a youth counselor at Camp Jim near Pillager. He would like to eventually return to college. He is looking into moving into a nursing home facility for younger adults in Duluth as early as next month.

Norstrom has A-positive blood type. Those who wish to be tested to see if they could be a kidney match for him may contact Cathy Garvey, donor coordinator at the University of Minnesota Fairview Transplant Center at (800) 328-5465.

Norstrom believes a new kidney would give him a second chance at life. He used to play guitar, write song lyrics and poetry and misses it.

"I guess if Stevie Wonder can play piano, why can't I play guitar?" said Norstrom.

JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858

http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2011-01-07/brainerd-man-searches-kidney-donor