By Russ Lawrence
Kidneys are critical organs, so much so that humans have two, although a person can live a healthy life with just one functioning kidney.
Clinton Warner’s kidneys failed long ago, though, due to a disease called Wegener’s Granulomatosis. Diagnosed at the age of 14, he has been dealing with it now for 18 years. Though he has received two previous kidney donations, one of those was rejected, and the other now functions at a level that requires regular dialysis. His veins will no longer support dialysis, and another transplant is now his best option.
His mother, Linda Warner, has made the difficult decision to reach out to the community in search of a kidney donor.
“We’ve had to reach out so many times,” she acknowledged. “I’m a giver, I’d rather give than receive, but when it’s my son involved . . . it’s just critical that we find a kidney.”
Blodgett Canyon Cellars Winery, on Main Street in Hamilton, will open its tasting room doors for a no-host event for potential kidney donors and all interested parties, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 5-8 p.m. Clinton and his mother, Linda, will be there, welcoming supporters and providing information on kidney donation. Winery co-owner Kevin Braughton has known the Warners for years, and when he learned they were looking for a space for the event, he quickly offered the winery tasting room, located at 111 Main Street in Hamilton.
The wait for a kidney is now about three to five years, according to Warner, unless a specific donor steps forward. Clinton’s need is urgent, as the disease and its subsequent treatments have damaged his lungs and sinuses, and left him anemic, and with virtually no energy. He once practiced as a massage therapist, but between his chronic fatigue, and neuropathy in his feet, he can no longer work.
Karin Peterson, a family friend, is organizing the event for Clinton. She’s admired how helpful Linda has been for others, and decided this was something she could do help the duo. She’ll have handouts with donation FAQ’s, and information on the process of organ donation.
Potential donors need only subject themselves to a blood test, with blood types “A” or “O” required for a match in Clinton’s case. Blood will also be tested for antigens that could lead to the recipient’s body rejecting the donated organ. All testing will be coordinated through Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle, where the transplant would take place.
His past donors have done “very well,” Linda Warner assured. The recovery from kidney donation is about two weeks, she said. Anyone interested should contact Gina Ritchie at Virginia Mason hospital directly, at (800) 357-9527, ext. 11201, or by emailing gina.ritchie@virginiamason.org.
The event is not a fund-raiser, although a donation jar will be out and a GoFundMe site is coming, to help the family with anticipated expenses. The event is intended instead to help spread the word as widely as possible about the need for kidney donors, particularly for Clinton but for others as well. Peterson hopes that community members, whether they are interested in being a donor or not, will help reach out via their business and social networks, churches, friends, and relations.
For more information on the event, contact Karin Peterson at 406-381-8308.