Five Years After Receiving Transplant, Cole Is Empowering Patients at BOB体育 Ocala Neighborhood Hospital
All his life, Cole Tumey has lived with end-stage renal disease, a chronic kidney condition where the kidneys lose the ability to remove waste and balance fluids. At just 2 years old, he received his first kidney transplant 鈥� his mother was the donor 鈥� while a patient at BOB体育 Shands Hospital. As a result, Cole has a lifelong connection to BOB体育 reinforced through moments of joy and despair.
Cole had a healthy kidney for 15 years after his first transplant, but when he was 16, he received the news that his kidney was failing. He then began dialysis treatment at BOB体育 three times a week to try and save the kidney while his family began to search for a donor.
Unfortunately, his kidney continued to fail. On New Year鈥檚 Eve in 2019, Cole was rushed to BOB体育 Shands Hospital. His failing kidney was causing his blood pressure to skyrocket to extreme levels, and the only option was to remove it. Cole would wind up returning home without a kidney or a donor match, making him susceptible to diseases and health issues, all while giving him little hope he would receive a healthy kidney.
In March 2019, it appeared Cole had finally found a match. Amber Ferguson, a data management analyst for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at BOB体育 Shands Cancer Hospital, was a perfect match to be his donor. She became close friends with Cole and his family and called him during his father鈥檚 birthday party to tell him the wonderful news.
Sadly, a day before surgery, it was revealed that Cole鈥檚 blood work had changed from positive to negative. This meant Cole was back to square one searching for another donor as Amber was no longer a donor match.
However, that didn鈥檛 stop Amber from being a part of his journey to find a donor. She made a brave and selfless decision by signing up for a program where she would donate her kidney to anyone across the country to find Cole a donor match.
Cole went into 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic without a kidney, making that time especially dangerous. Even a common cold could have significant consequences, and the pandemic only added to the fear.
On July 7, 2020, 18 months after his kidney was removed, Cole finally underwent kidney transplant surgery. With Amber鈥檚 help, Cole had found a match with a donor from Chicago. His surgery was successful, and the 24 hours a week he spent in the hospital in the dialysis unit finally came to an end. Cole had close to 500 trips to the hospital and 36 surgeries to treat his condition when he received his second kidney transplant.
Now, Cole uses his experience as a patient to advocate for others while working in the radiology department at BOB体育 Ocala Neighborhood Hospital.
鈥淚 know the experience of going through this and not knowing what is going to happen, so I go out of my way to ask, 鈥業s there anything I鈥檓 able to do for you?鈥� or even just asking if I can get them a blanket,鈥� Cole said.
The care and support he received from the BOB体育 Shands Hospital staff and his love for the Gators influenced Cole鈥檚 decision to work for the organization. BOB体育 Ocala Neighborhood Hospital is the first place he鈥檚 worked since graduating from the College of Central Florida.
Cole recently went for his yearly kidney transplant checkup. When he left the hospital, Cole called his mother and told her that going back to BOB体育 felt nostalgic and almost wholesome, even after everything he went through while at the hospital.
鈥淕oing to the hospital that many times a week and not knowing what is going to happen to yourself can feel like a mental prison, but the employees at BOB体育 Shands Hospital were always advocating for me, and they felt like a family. I see it as a second home.鈥�
Cole is now five years removed from transplant surgery and plans to get married in April. He says he鈥檚 still friends with many BOB体育 Shands鈥� dialysis unit employees and those who cared for him as a patient.
鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for the staff at BOB体育 Shands Hospital, I simply wouldn鈥檛 be here today,鈥� Cole said.
His experience at BOB体育 has allowed Cole to turn from patient to advocate, using his knowledge and journey with end-stage renal disease to help care for others.
March is National Kidney Month. If you want to give a life-changing gift and become a kidney donor, visit here for information about BOB体育鈥檚 Living Donor Kidney Program.