Alsace Gallop

Clement Gallop Needs A LIVING Kidney DONOR

My dad has stage 4 kidney disease and is one step from needing dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to live. You can help him live AND thrive....

Thank you in advance for reading my testimonial and my call for action to help my dad find a compatible living kidney donor as soon as possible. This is a deeply personal and tough topic and request for me to share with you and anyone else reading this. I appreciate your time.

-->Quick overview:
You can learn more about living kidney donation, or even sign up to be a donor directly or indirectly for my dad, by contacting Amy Woodard or other staff at the University of North Carolina Hospitals (UNCH) Transplant Center at 984-974-7568 (phone), livingdonors@unchealth.unc.edu (email), and https://www.uncmedicalcenter.org/uncmc/care-treatment/transplant-care/kidney-transplant/become-a-living-donor/ (online).

-->If you haven't already, you can read my dad's story at http://www.thedonorapp.com/p/omty6mhZ/dr/c/. This link will also take you to other testimonials on behalf of my dad that you can read and share (social media, text, and email) to help us spread the word and find a living kidney donor for my dad.

About my dad:
Many people say that their father is the best one in the whole world. I truly feel that I have been blessed with the best parents specifically for me. I am an only child, and growing up I was always told I look exactly like my dad (the phrase people would use is that it looked like he had spit me out of his own mouth, ha ha). I not only looked like my daddy, I acted like him, too. I feel fortunate to have such a close relationship with my dear mother, who I lost unexpectedly and suddenly in my late 20s, and with my dear father. In many ways they have been my first and my best friends.

My parents both started their careers as public school teachers, and my dad was seen as the popular half of my parental unit by his high school students, the high school athletes he coached, and later the high school, middle school, and elementary school students he served as a counselor. As I got older, I realized that it wasn’t just my dad’s humor or his friendly personality that led to his solid reputation. It was the fact that my dad made sure everyone he worked with felt seen, was listened to, and was valued as a human with innate potential, no matter what society said about that person. I also think that is why my dad was able to serve for over two decades in a strenuous job as a mental health treatment specialist in the federal prison system. My dad cares about people and believes that being alive is a blessing.

Growing up, I always saw my dad an example of strength—emotionally, mentally, and physically. That is another reason it is so hard to believe he has stage 4 kidney disease and will have to use dialysis and/or receive a kidney donation. Dad was a high school and college athlete, then a high school coach, and then played in work basketball and tennis leagues almost until retirement. He has had demanding jobs and has been working since he was a teenager to earn an honest dollar to take care of himself and of me. He encouraged my mother to go to graduate school and also went himself, and I often did my elementary and middle school coursework while they studied in the evenings after work in their university libraries. My dad lost his oldest brother unexpectedly in high school and his father passed away from cancer five months after I was born. He went through a divorce with my mom and did the emotional and relational work needed to make sure they could co-parent me effectively and even be good friends. He found love with my dear step-mother and has been a light in so many people’s lives at work, in his community in Durham, NC, and in our church where he serves as a deacon. And, I cannot forget to mention that he is a two-time alumnus of North Carolina Central University and proud Eagle!

Why my dad needs a kidney transplant as soon as possible:
My dad currently has stage 4 kidney disease, which is one step away from needing dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to live. That is a tough sentence to write.

Dad has constantly worked to take care of his health, especially after he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. For example, when he was no longer able to play basketball and tennis, he took up bike riding—something he had never done as an adult! When his mother became ill a few years ago, it took a toll on him since he was so close to her. He still kept up with his activity level, but he prioritized taking care of her. Looking back, I can see that he probably was also dealing with the increasing severity of his kidney disease. Even now, my dad still works to eat healthily and exercise regularly. He is a fighter and has always believed in working hard and being faithful and optimistic.

I feel I have been in denial until this year about my dad’s kidney disease diagnosis, and it has become difficult each day to not be frightened about what could happen if my dad’s condition does not improve. I actually cannot even yet say the true scenario that devastates me to consider. But I’m sure if you have somebody you love or have loved in your life, you can fill in the blanks. It is also overwhelming to realize that my family needs to appeal to as many people as possible so that my dad has more opportunities to meet a compatible and willing living donor. It is stunning to think that there are so many other people out there who know how I have felt and how I currently feel. It’s not a fun club to be in, but I am hopeful that by me opening up so publicly, both my dad and people I do not know could be helped due to one person becoming more educated about kidney disease and kidney donation. It also is gut-wrenching that I cannot just take out my kidney and give it to my dad right now so that he doesn’t have to suffer, even if doing so had a negative impact on my health.

Although I am grateful that dialysis is an option for my dad until he can get a kidney donation, it seems like it will prevent him from being the active man and servant to his community that he has been. I also worry that he will have trouble adjusting to being physically dependent to that treatment. My dad has never asked for something if he could find a way to get it for himself. He takes pride in doing his best in all ways. So, the fact that he is using this app and has written his story and welcomed his family and community to participate is a huge deal. He is asking for help because he needs it. I am asking for your help because I feel like I need it too, though obviously not in the same way.

My dad is not a perfect man, but he is the best man I know. I am blessed that other people also think so highly of him. Just this March (right before the pandemic), I ran into two people who each had him as a teacher over thirty years ago, and they had so much praise for and fond memories of his teaching and his concern for his students’ futures.

Here's how you can help, today and beyond:
Please read more about living kidney donation today and consider being a living kidney donor for my dad. If you are interested, but end up not being compatible to donate to my dad, please consider helping donate to someone else’s dad or other loved one. Thank you. If you are a believer in God, please also pray for my dad’s improved health. If you are not, please send positive thoughts. No matter what you believe, please also consider donating financially to kidney research and donation efforts.

If you would like to learn more about living kidney donation, or even sign up to be a donor directly or indirectly for my dad, contact Amy Woodard or other staff at (984) 974-7568 or https://www.uncmedicalcenter.org/uncmc/care-treatment/transplant-care/kidney-transplant/become-a-living-donor/.

Transplant Center: University of North Carolina Hospitals
UNC Medical Center, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514
Living Kidney Donor Line: (984) 974-7568
Email: livingdonors@unchealth.unc.edu

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to hear my testimonial about my dad. Please use the links in this app/website to share my request with everyone you know.

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