Four years after he received a kidney transplant, one Penticton man is paying it forward and hoping to get the rest of the community on board with him.
Jason Yadlowski was 32 when he was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease in 2008, and despite his young age for the disease, it advanced and left him with barely over half his kidney function, which continued to drop.
For years, as one kidney failed and then the other, he had to undergo dialysis at the Penticton Regional Hospital for three to four hours at a time, three days a week.
In 2021, Yadlowski received a kidney from a deceased donor, and since then he has made sure to live his life to the fullest.
"I have more energy to play basketball with my daughters, can travel and work full-time again," Yadlowski said. "I will be on medications for the rest of my life and I know in the back of my mind that the kidney will fail in time and I will be in for another battle; that is why I am enjoying every moment of life. I hold my wife and daughters a little more tightly and tell them 'how much I love you' more frequently."
The Kidney Foundation hopes that Yadlowski's story will encourage people to support their Kidney Walk on June 1. The walk raises funds and awareness for people with or at risk of kidney disease, which affects one in 10 Canadians.
Kidney disease has no known cure, and can impact anyone no matter their health. Prior to his diagnosis, Yadlowski was an active outdoorsman and played multiple sports.
It was only when doctors conducted an ultrasound after being unable to determine the source of his high blood pressure that they discovered the cysts hidden inside his kidneys.
By the time a kidney became available for the transplant, Yadlowski had lost more than 50 pounds and undergone more than a dozen smaller surgeries and procedures.
"It was incredibly hard not having the energy or time that I once had to do physical activities with my daughters," Yadlowski said. "They were young and couldn乌鸦传媒檛 quite understand yet the concept of what was happening with their dad. I didn乌鸦传媒檛 fight for myself, I battled the obstacles to get better and healthy for my family.
SInce the surgery, and his recovery, Yadlowski has given back to the Kidney Foundation and supported them through their Kidney Walk that helped him and others get their second chance at life.
He has lived knowing that the kidney he received could fail in the future, and once again he would need help and support.
In addition to supporting the Kidney Foundation at their June 1 Kidney Walk in Penticton, other ways to support those with kidney disease include ensuring registering as an organ donor, volunteering with the foundation or making a monthly donation at .
The walk is held at Rotary Park, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. and the walk starting at 9:30 a.m.
