Giving the gift of life

By Karen Pilarski

kpilarski@conleynet.com 262-513-2657

WAUKESHA — Mike Crowley has spent the past four years as CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin. The nonprofit strives to prevent kidney diseases, supports affected families and increases organ donation awareness. Crowley was inspired to donate one of his kidneys after a visit to several dialysis clinics. This past March he dropped off care bags to three different dialysis clinics for patients. It is one of the programs offered through the nonprofit.

“I saw the hopelessness and helplessness on their faces. When you are going through dialysis ... it is a horrible way to live,” Crowley said.

Patients are normally at the clinic three or four days for six hours at a time. Crowley met 100 patients in one day at three different clinics.

“I wondered if I was healthy enough to donate a kidney. One of these people I met could potentially receive a kidney transplant if they are signed up for one,” he said.

In August, Crowley continued his mission to raise funds and awareness of kidney disease, organ transplants and good kidney health. A “100 plus miles” fundraising cycling event was held. Crowley along with over 440 other riders from around the country raised money towards a $1.9 million goal for the Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Ride to Cure Diabetes.

Also in August, the Waukesha County Board supervisor turned 60. He recalled after being done with the event that it was the best he has ever felt in his life.

“What better way to celebrate 60 years on this earth, being grateful for not having kidney disease or major medical issues, a way to give back for my 60th birthday,” Crowley said.

Crowley talked it over with his wife and two children and decided to apply to be an altruistic donor. A non-directed kidney donor is a person who wishes to donate a kidney to a person with advanced kidney that the person doesn’t know.

His organ donation hinged on the outcome of the donor screenings.

Crowley was connected with a UW-Health Transplant Center and they begin a basic medical screening. He also needed to complete a financial consultation, a psychological evaluation and extensive medical tests.

“It is the most extensive physical you will receive in your life. It doesn’t cost you (the donor) a penny. It is just your time,” Crowley said.

It was nerve wrecking to wait on the results. Crowley thought to himself how ironic would it be to want to donate a kidney and discover he has cancer.

Thankfully, the medical report came back very positive and he was in excellent health. His kidneys were functioning at a rate of someone in their 40s.

The next thing Crowley had to do was get a colonoscopy which he has never done before. The results were also very positive.

Crowley was approved to be a donor and rather quickly a match was made to a person in Wisconsin. Crowley’s transplant surgery was on Wednesday.

“I wanted to do it because of my education and meeting people in the kidney community that have either received a kidney or were a donor,” he said.

Crowley added that the need is great and there are 100,000 people waiting for an organ right now. About 90,000 of them need a kidney transplant.

“Only about a thousand people do what I’m doing, donating to a stranger,” he said.

For more information on becoming a donor visit https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/becoming-living-donor.

Mike Crowley has spent the past four years as CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin. The nonprofit strives to prevent kidney diseases, supports affected families and increases organ donation awareness. Crowley, also a Waukesha County supervisor, donated one of his kidneys on Wednesday to a complete stranger.

Courtesy of Mike Crowley