Man home after kidney donation from son

[okarol]

Man home after kidney donation from son
Published Monday July 25th, 2011

Jeanne Whitehead

RIVERBANK - The Cruickshank family is back home in Kings County after a landmark month.
On June 17, at Victoria General Hospital in Halifax, Arthur Cruickshank received a kidney donated by his son, Dana. With the date of the transplant coinciding with Father's Day, the act became a national story at the time.

Art and his wife, Doris, live in Smiths Creek. Their third-youngest of four children, Dana, lives in Riverbank.

Doris told Canadaeast News Service that her husband, who has diabetes, already had some kidney damage three years ago when he sought treatment for a pain in his neck. She said his kidneys stopped functioning within 24 hours of starting a prescription for a strong anti-inflammatory.

In the early days following the diagnosis, things were pretty bleak.

"The Monday night after we were told his kidneys had failed he said goodbye to us," Doris recalled.

But there was a treatment that kept him alive: hemodialysis. Initially it meant travelling to Saint John three times a week. The travel challenges were lessened, somewhat, when he began receiving dialysis in Sussex.

And then Art began paritoneal dialysis, a procedure that can be accomplished at home. That treatment, unfortunately, didn't work out well, and he experienced two infections before Doris insisted he re-start dialysis at Sussex Hospital.

"In all, it was three years that he had dialysis three times a week," she said. Doris said their son, Dana, came to her about a year after his father started treatment.

"Dad needs a kidney, right? I'd like to give him one of mine," he said.

Tissue matching revealed father and son were good matches, but there were many other tests, including psychological evaluations, to be done before the procedure could take place.

"I remember the psychiatrist asked me if I realized that the kidney I donated could fail," said Dana. "And I said 'yes.' But what would be the greater sin - that it didn't work, or that we didn't try?"

The family received a call just 10 days prior to the surgeries to let them know the operations had been scheduled.

For Dana, removal of his kidney took about three-and-a-half hours. His kidney was implanted in the front of his father's body. Art's own kidneys were not removed: Had his body rejected the transplant, then he would have gone back on dialysis.

Although 67-year-old Art's surgery was actually of shorter duration than his son's, recovery was much longer. But within hours of the transplant it was apparent his new kidney was working.

It was a cause for celebration - and gratitude. Dana was informed that this 2011 Father's Day gift would stand him in good stead for many years to come. And his three siblings were informed they could count on buying lots of shirts and ties in the future for their dad - since he was planning on being around for a long time.

Art had to quit his job in security at Gateway Mall when dialysis became necessary and his illness, in many ways, became his focus.

Now he's looking forward to focusing on living. He loves gardening, working with wood, cooking and reading - all pastimes that he will be taking up with renewed interest. He'll also be spending lots of time with family - which includes 10 grandchildren.

Dana, the father of two of those grandkids, will soon be returning to work, after six weeks off. His aunt, Elva Steeves, is organizing a benefit to help him deal with the expenses he's incurred. There will be a bake table and a live auction at Roachville Hall Aug. 13 at 3 p.m. Those wishing to make donations can call Steeves at 433-1701 or 432-5417.

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/1426189