Kidney Walk has an extra-special meaning for this Penticton trio
When Al Mansfield, owner of Penticton’s White Spot, became this year’s Kidney Walk’s largest community sponsor, his donation came with a personal and inspiring story.
The past year has been a challenging journey for Mansfield and his wife, Dorothy. In addition to losing their home to fire, Dorothy’s health was taking a turn for the worse.
Having been diagnosed nearly 30 years ago with IgA nephropathy, a kidney disease that causes antibodies to lodge in the kidneys and prevent them from functioning, Dorothy was receiving treatment through the hospital but was still in need of a new kidney.
While there is no known cure to IgA nephropathy, Al says that a kidney donation would give her a “new life” after a long journey through recovery.
The biggest challenge that Dorothy faced in finding a donor was her blood type. Having blood type B-positive, not only is it difficult to find others with the same type, but it makes organs more difficult to match.
“I was planning on going over to Hong Kong and China and see if I could find a kidney over there,” Al said. His wife’s heritage stems from Asia, and he had hoped to have better luck in finding a donor there.
It seemed to be fate when Mansfield walked into his local bank to conduct some business and an employee overheard his conversation about his search for a donor with a B-positive blood type.
Noreen Conway happened to be on the living donors list at the foundation.
“I had seen a blitz on Global News that the Kidney Foundation was needing and encouraging people to be living donors. I’m a rare blood type . . . and I thought, ‘Well, I can help someone.’ I made my decision 7 years ago,” said Conway.
“The foundation is absolutely marvelous. They will work with you. Don’t let your age or your weight or your health be a concern — let them say yes or no,” she urged.
She still remembers to this day the look on Al’s face when she told him her blood type was B-positive.
“We just had this moment looking at each other,” she recalled. It was end of November 2016. She wanted to wait to ensure that she could give a kidney to Dorothy before meeting her in person.
Conway contacted the foundation to begin the process in January 2017. With rounds of doctor’s appointments and testing, the longest part was ensuring that Dorothy and Conway cross-matched. Finally, in December 2017, Conway received the call that she and Dorothy were a match.
After an emotional first meeting with Dorothy in which she told Conway that all she wanted was to be able to “see her grandchildren grow up,” Conway told her that she and the hospital team were going to make it happen. Six months later it did. Thirteen weeks later Conway has returned to work feeling as great as she did before the surgery, and is ready to walk on Sunday to help raise awareness and donations for the Kidney Foundation.
“For me it was a marvelous experience to be able to help somebody,” she said with a smile.
The walk takes place this Sunday at Gyro Park. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the walk starts at 10. It will be a total of 2 1/2 kilometres.
On the same day, White Spot will be donating $2 from any purchased entree to the Kidney Foundation, with a goal of $4,000. Additionally, the president of White Spot has agreed to match the amount raised in Penticton’s location.
Mansfield and his wife, as well as Conway, will be present at the walk and Conway has noted that she will have the opportunity to speak to share hers and Mansfield’s story to all that attend.