Two years ago, 100 Mile House resident Craig Conklin donated a kidney to a family friend, and today both he and the donor are doing well.
“I had no health issues after donating,” says Conklin. “It didn’t affect my health at all.”
His son was also a perfect match for the friend, and was initially going to be the donor, but Conklin told him he was a lot older than you, so he would do it.
The day after the operations, his friend walked into the hospital room where Conklin was recovering.
“I told him, ‘You look a lot better’. When someone has been living without functioning kidneys, they start to recover as soon as they get a new one.”
Conklin points out that everyone has two kidneys, and you only need one.
“When you’re going through the process of becoming a donor, one thing they talk to you about is ‘what if’. If you donate and then need a kidney yourself, you go to the top of the donor list.”
Conklin says that since he donated a kidney, at least three people he knows of in the 100 Mile area have done so, and he’s happy to talk to anyone interested about what’s involved.
“A woman talked to me about it at the sled dog races in January, and is considering becoming an anonymous donor.”
He acknowledges that talking with someone who has gone through the process is helpful.
“I worked with a donor advocate who had donated a kidney, and could really talk about it.”
Conklin says anyone considering donating a kidney needs to talk with their family about the decision. He adds it’s important to have someone who can look after you in the immediate aftermath of the operation.
“You’re pretty helpless for a while; you need to rest and take it easy.”
For him, the decision to donate a kidney was a relatively easy one.
“There’s such a need for it, but people aren’t aware of that. So why not help out those who need it?”
If people don’t want to be a living donor, he urges them to go on the organ donor list.
“You can help out so many people.”
