James Irvin thought he was in perfectly good health when he had a checkup that changed his life.
Now working as an Intensive Care Unit Clerk at Dandenong Hospital, James was shocked when he received the dreadful news that he was in the end stage of renal failure due to his type 1 diabetes.
To survive, James learned he would have to undergo a simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplant.
While he was on the waiting list for the right match, James found trying to manage renal failure and diabetes became much more difficult.
“I found myself having more and more low blood sugar moments than I had experienced in the decades prior. Exhaustion was another symptom that crept up very quickly. I found that I would practically sleep on command,” said James.
“I didn’t realise how much of my life was getting eroded away bit by bit.”
After a year of being on the waiting list, James received the call that would ultimately change his life forever.
“I was overcome with excitement, and it was the most memorable emotion I had ever experienced. My wait time for the transplant was less than a year, but during that time, each phone call coming in always brought the thought: ‘is this it?’”.
For anyone facing the same situation, James said it was important to know what to expect.
“The renal and transplant teams gave me an understanding of what was happening to me and what was to be expected in the months and years to come. And remember to maintain your appointments.”
“To my donor, I would say, I am always overwhelmed with gratitude, praise and humility for the gift that was given to me.”
DonateLife Week 2021 is recognised between 25 July and 1 August 2021, to spread awareness about the life-saving importance of organ and tissue donation.
With a decrease in donations and transplant activity due to COVID-19, it is more important than ever to register as an organ and tissue donor.
Becoming a donor means you are not only helping an individual with an underlying condition, but also giving them the gift of life.
To learn more about DonateLife Week, visit the DonateLife website.