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Jennifer Kinnerk column: Research holds promise that may save lives
I had never met Kori, but his death in November 2004 affected me profoundly.
I met him in the spring of 2003 while I was waiting for my kidney and
pancreas transplant. He was a member of an online chat group for people
diagnosed with kidney disease.
Our lives were so similar. Both of us had been diagnosed with
insulin-dependent diabetes as children, both of us had profound vision loss
from diabetes and both of us ultimately developed kidney failure because of
diabetes. This is where our similarities ended.
Kori received his kidney and pancreas transplant in 1996 after several years
on dialysis. While in the hospital recovering, he developed
Post-transplantation Lymphatic Disorder (PTLD), which caused numerous
cancerous growths in his newly transplanted organs.
While it often takes many months to years to develop, it only took two weeks
in Kori. The organs had to be removed immediately. He never had a chance to
leave the hospital and live a normal life after transplant.
Despite the fact that his transplant was a failure, Kori was always there
for us, giving encouragement, celebrating when one of us had a successful
transplant and telling us jokes to keep our spirits high.
Without his support, I don't know how I would have emotionally survived the
diagnosis of kidney failure, the testing for my transplant or the wait. If
Kori could live his life and be cheerful, so could I.
PTLD develops because of the immunosuppressive drugs that are given to
patients after transplant to prevent rejection. Because the organs don't
match our own tissues and the white blood cells would attack the foreign
organ, it's necessary to take the drugs to prevent this.
In most cases, it's a regime transplant patients will follow for their
entire lives. Kori would never be able to receive another transplant unless
methods were discovered to allow a transplant to occur without the
medications.
One of the potential treatments, if stem cell research was successful, would
be the creation of organs and cells for transplant that would not have a
genetic code, allowing transplants to occur without the medications required
to prevent rejection. Living until this was possible was Kori's only hope.
Kori would spend eight more years on dialysis. The kidney failure eventually
caused him to be unable to eat without vomiting and severely weakened his
heart.
Just days after Thanksgiving in 2004, Kori failed to show up for his
dialysis treatment. He had died that morning of a stroke while getting
ready.
Why are people like Kori being allowed to die without more of a fight? Polls
have shown that approximately 70 percent of us support the federal funding
of embryonic stem cell research.
Our president recently vetoed a bill that was passed in favor of federal
funding that had bipartisan support.
We allow our president and the religious right to block any funding by
claiming it "immoral." If they feel it's wrong, why are they choosing to
fight the funding of embryonic stem cell research instead of calling for the
discontinuation of discarding of the embryos at fertility clinics or for the
end of creating excess embryos for use in in-vitro fertilization? Isn't that
really the heart of the issue?
The president had to choose an issue he would be able to control to create
another issue that would undoubtedly capture the support of the Christian
right.
Those of us who support the federal funding and existence of stem cell
research do understand that it might not hold the key to the cures and
treatments we are so desperately seeking. But, unquestionably, it holds
great promise.
How many millions of dollars of research are done each year, at the expense
of our federal government, that is determined to be unsuccessful? How many
people will lose their lives while our government plays politics with their
lives? How many friends will I lose because of the lack of federal funding,
or will I myself fall victim?
Imagine a world free from suffering caused by diabetes, Parkinson's disease
or cancer. Somewhere, a spinal cord injury would not mean a lifetime in a
wheelchair. It sounds like a wonderful place to me.
Kori is gone but will never be forgotten. Every Monday night, when our chat
group meets, Kori is always in our minds and our hearts.
It hurts each time we look and see his name isn't listed on the attendees
list. It's a grim reminder that, someday, our luck might change, too.
If you ask me, the cause of death on Kori's death certificate should state
"politics" right next to where it says "natural causes."
Jennifer Kinnerk is a former Appleton resident and a Post-Crescent Community
Columnist. She can be reached at [log in to unmask]

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