PENTICTON – Kellie Wesley and Terry Folkestad have been friends for almost a decade. Two years ago, however, their friendship became even more special.
“I’m always thinking of her, and I am always grateful to her to what she has done to my life,” says Folkestad.
The Penticton woman has given her friend Terry the gift of life by donating one of her kidneys.
“It seemed like the right thing to do and I thought to myself if this was my family member, whether it was my husband or one of my boys, if I wasn’t a match I’d want someone to step up and be a match for them so that was really a guiding force for me,” says Wesley.
Folkestad was in dire need of a transplant. His kidney function was only at 12 per cent prior to surgery. The wait in Canada for a kidney transplant can be up to 10 years so it looked like dialysis was his only option at the time. However, it turned out Wesley was a match with Folkestad’s rare 0-negative blood type.
“It’s been a new lease on life,” says Folkestad. “I have not felt this good for 20 years. I am able to work, do my job now. I enjoy life. Everything is great where it was a struggle before the surgery, it was very challenging.”
Folkestad, however, isn’t the only one who feels healthier these days, so does Kellie, despite one less kidney.
“I actually feel healthier because I feel I pay more attention to my body now , “ says Wesley. “I make sure I am exercising, that I am getting enough rest, that I am eating the foods that are good for me.”
With March being kidney health month, the two are sharing their success story hoping to inspire others to give kidney donation a serious thought.
“Just in Penticton alone there are 36 people waiting for kidney transplants, just in Penticton and then you look at all of B.C., the numbers must be huge,” says Folkestad. “If we can get one person to donate form this interview that would be awesome.”
Kellie agrees, saying she’s a living example that giving the gift of life is not as hard as many people may think.
“Giving birth was more difficult than doing this kidney operation. I would do it again in a heartbeat,” she says.
Comments