Nathan Olvera needs a kidney.
The 40-year-old Fishers resident has polycystic kidney disease, a hereditary disorder which also afflicts his mother. Nathan’s wife Chris has applied to be a living kidney donor, yet medication she was on disqualified her. She recently applied again.
“In a nutshell, we’re just trying to possibly find him a living kidney donor because he’s in stage 5 renal failure so he’s getting very close to having to start dialysis,” said Chris, who previously lived in Zionsville.
Nathan said although he is in end-stage renal failure, his life isn’t all that much different. He experiences more fatigue than normal and is on a strict diet, but he’s fighting to stay off dialysis. Symptoms began with high blood pressure.
“I might have to be on dialysis next year,” Nathan said . “Sometime next year, it all depends on how the bloodwork comes out and how I do.”
He’s hoping to receive a kidney before he starts dialysis, but the typical wait time is five years.
“He watched his mom. She had a kidney transplant at age 52,” Chris said. “He has kind of known what to expect because he has seen his mom go through all of this. She is needing a second kidney now because the transplanted kidney is failing. He has seen what she’s going through. She’s been on dialysis and is on it again. If you can avoid dialysis, you usually have a better chance of having better health. Dialysis is hard on your body, hard on your heart over time.”
Nathan’s blood type is A-positive, and he can only receive a kidney from A or O blood types.
“After someone reading this thing, even if they’re not looking to donate a kidney, maybe they can donate another organ to someone else who needs it,” Nathan said.
For more, visit iuhealth.org/university/transplant/kidney/kidney-living-donor.
