Bennett returns after successful transplant

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Bennett returns after successful transplant
•After missing festival in 2007, musician gets a new kidney.

By TYLER GASKILL
Reporter

One name was noticeably missing from the long list of performers at the 2007 Walnut Valley Festival: Stephen Bennett.

Bennett was in poor health due to a failing kidney caused by polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and could not attend. He had been to Winfield several times since his first visit in 1983.

After missing his first Walnut Valley Festival in seven years, Bennett is back. And what a difference a year makes.

Bennett received a new kidney from his brother-in-law, Michael.

"It feels great to be back," Bennett said in an interview Friday following his afternoon performance on Stage 1.

"It's wonderful."

Bennett's trip to Winfield this year is the first road performance he's done since a show in Canada last October.

"My kidneys were really declining, so I needed to stay close to home," Bennett said.

"I was right on the edge of needing dialysis. If I were away from home, I could have wound up in the hospital."

Bennett's life after getting his new kidney in May has taken some getting used to, he said. Due to his depleted immune system, he has a new set of restrictions.

"It's been a bit of a challenge this year all the way around. I had to get my health back, and that went really well," Bennett said.

"Beyond that, the main impact is that I just have to be more aware of the microbial realities of the world. In order for a transplant to be successful, you have to suppress your immune system. The new organ is not part of you, so your immune system wants to attack it and throw it out."

Being aware of the dangers that the common cold or flu can present wasn't easy for Bennett.

"I have a very healthy immune system - well, I had, at any rate," Bennett said, "but they have to hold it down with various drugs. So that means that I have to really be on guard far more than I ever was before,"

Even contact with others can pose a serious heath risk to someone whose immune system is vulnerable.

Bennett, known as a very personable man, was used to giving handshakes and hugs to his friends and fans. His habits have changed since he received his new kidney.

"Before I shake hands with anybody or give them a hug or whatever, I have to either ask them or get a sense of whether they've got a cold," Bennett said. "If they do, what would just be a cold for someone with a normal, healthy immune system could - for somebody that's had a transplant - be way worse than just a cold. It could be a really, really bad cold or turn into pneumonia. I just have to be careful."

Bennett was greeted with a warm Winfield welcome upon his return. Many fans who have kept up with his health through his CaringBridge Web site were on hands to see Bennett perform live again.

"(CaringBridge) is a way for people to check in on how you're doing without having to take a hundred calls a day or a hundred e-mails a day. They can leave you messages," Bennett said.

"I got lots of messages from Winfield and Winfield folks. There were some people here at Winfield that volunteered to be tested or were tested to be possible donors for me. It's very cool."

Several fans greeted Bennett after his show at the merchandise tent. One couple even informed him that they had named their young son, Bennett, after him.

Others congratulated him on his recovering health.

"It's good to have you back," said one fan as he shook Bennett's hand.

Bennett's return was something he was looking forward to ever since he was unable to attend last year. Festival officials were also in a hurry to get him back.

"I wasn't booked last year," Bennett said. "They said, 'Just sit out this year and come back next year.'

"Before the festival last year, I knew I was going to be here this year, assuming everything had gone well with the transplant."

The support Bennett has received from his Winfield fans isn't something he has taken lightly. His gratitude was obvious as he spoke of his experience at Bluegrass.

"This is a big family," Bennett said.

"You're seeing people that you've seen many years here. Some of these people I've been seeing since 1983, and they've just become really, really good friends."

As he continues down the road to recovery, Bennett is taking on fewer shows in fewer places. He will not be performing overseas again until he is fully recovered, about three months from now.

"I did a show in Knoxville on the way here, and I'll do a show in Memphis on the way home. I'm sort of easing back into work," Bennett said.

"The rest of this year, it'll be light . Then next year it picks up and it will be heavier. I'll be able to get back overseas again. This is the beginning of it. This is the first time being back out. It's a lot of fun."

Bennett can be seen on Stage 2 today at noon, as well as at several other performances throughout the weekend.

To follow Bennett's road to recovery or to send him a message, visit his CaringBridge site at http://www.caringbridge.com/visit/stephenbennett .

http://winfieldcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=26176

PHOTO: Stephen Bennett performs on Stage 1 Friday afternoon at the Walnut Valley Festival. After a year’s absence due to a failing kidney, Bennett is back in Winfield and feeling better than ever. (Tyler Gaskill/Courier)