It is commendable that Natalie Cole has come forward as a champion for the cause of end stage renal failure and chronic kidney disease. I watched an interview she did with Larry King on CNN where she discussed the fact that she is in need of a kidney transplant because her kidneys are functioning at less than 10%.
Cole is a former cocaine and heroine addict who contracted hepatitis C from her IV drug use. She discovered this in 2008, and underwent chemotherapy to rid her body of the virus. After four months of chemotherapy, Cole's kidneys failed. She immediately began dialysis three times per week to replace her kidney function.
Cole stated that she believes it was the Interferon chemotherapy treatment that caused her kidney failure. Although she readily admits that her drug used caused the hepatitis C, it seems quite plausible that this may have also contributed to her kidney failure as well.
Of course I have no idea what it is like to face renal failure, and I want to make it clear that I wish nothing but the best for Ms. Cole. However, I was surprised that she said that if she got a living kidney donor she would ask them to wait until the end of the year due to her busy schedule.
Are you kidding me?
Because of my line of work, I have come in contact with many kidney dialysis patients, and there was nothing in my experience that would lead me to believe any of them would have said this. Someone is giving you the gift of life, and you have the nerve to say, "I'm busy, can we wait until the end of the year?"
When King asked her why she would delay the transplant, she told him that it's because her kidney failure is not a life or death thing. What!
Well here's what the American Association of Kidney Patients has to say about renal failure and whether it's life or death:
Life expectancy statistics for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are sobering. According to the 2003 U.S. Renal Data System report, “The poor long-term survival of ESRD patients continues to be an area of concern. Expected remaining lifetimes for dialysis patients are only one-third to one-sixth those of the general U.S. population.” For a healthy 20-year-old, life expectancy is around another 58 years – compared to 14 years in dialysis patients. A 50-year-old dialysis patient can expect another six years. Source: AAKP.org
At one point during the interview, Larry King held up a stack of papers and told her that all of these people had written in to find out how they could be tested to see if they were a match for her. I think it's great that her celebrity status has raised awareness about kidney disease, and I hope that those potential donors might consider donating a kidney to someone else if they're not a match for Cole.
Here's a link to the CNN article, and you can view the video below:
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