By Louise Continelli, The Buffalo News, N.Y.
Jun. 15–Today on Father’s Day Jennifer Case of Buffalo feels especially fortunate she has her dad.
How great is a father’s love? Robert Case gave his daughter his own kidney.
“He gave me life twice,” Jennifer said.
Today also is the Walk this Father’s Day in Kidney Walk 2008 event, taking place at Dunn Tire Park beginning at 10 a. m.
Both Cases are doing so well, they also participated in the Mother’s Day Elephant Run in Delaware Park to benefit the Marcena Lozano Memorial Scholarship Fund, helping young people who have had a second chance at life obtain an education to secure their future.
This morning’s walkers include former Buffalo Sabre Ric Seiling, whose 15-year-old son Jeremy was diagnosed at age 12 with IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disease that can lead to kidney failure.
A shockingly high number of Western New Yorkers — 170,000 — experience chronic kidney disease, according to the the National Kidney Foundation of Western New York.
Jennifer, a nursing student who has benefited from the Marcena scholarship, was once on the other side of that medical clipboard, having been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease.
At first she thought she just had the flu.
But it was “a long bout,” she said, recalling a “bloody nose, hiccups, swollen ankles and hands, shortness of breath.”
“I couldn’t lie down; I couldn’t breathe because of all the fluid in my chest. I couldn’t walk more than 10 feet without stopping. I had all the classic symptoms of renal failure.”
She was told she would need a kidney transplant. And finding the donor was assured.
“She’s my daughter,” Bob Case said. “I had no second thoughts.”
On Oct. 16, 2001, she received her new kidney — after six months of dialysis to get healthy enough for the operation.
“My father and I went through many tests and exams to make sure we were both healthy enough to go through the transplant process. My dad was in the hospital for 1z 2/3 1/2 y 1/3 and I was in for 10. I’m doing great and so is my father,” Jennifer said.
The surgery was a life-altering event in other ways.
“I decided to become a nurse because of all the caring and compassionate nurses I have come in contact with during my illness at ECMC,” said Jennifer, who graduates from Trocaire College next year. “I hope to be able to affect one person, the way they have, and continue to affect me. My goal is to be a dialysis nurse.”
And she will be able to do that with the help of Lori and Kevin Lozano, who chose her as one of the Marcena Lozano Scholarship recipients. The scholarship is named after their late daughter Marcena, who won three gold medals in swimming at the U. S. Transplant Games at the University of Utah, and underwent two heart transplants.
Have an idea about a local person whose life would make a good profile or a neighborhood issue worth exploring? Write to: Louise Continelli, Sunday Profile, The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240
Or e-mail [email protected]
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