Robert Erwin should be spending these cold, winter days dreaming of warmer weather and chasing the wind aboard his 2002 Honda Shadow Spirit 1100 to the next charity ride.
Glennia Milonich and Robert Erwin are seeking a kidney donor for Erwin who suffered complications from open heart surgery in April. (PHOTO | SUBMITTED)
Riding motorcycles, charity car show and rides and fishing are some of the 60-year-old Lakeview man’s passions when he is well.
But right now, he’s not well. Instead, he is fighting to live and hoping someone will step forward to donate a kidney.
Complications from an April quadruple bypass damaged his kidneys and left his body unable to filter impurities from his blood.
To survive, Erwin has dialysis for more than four hours, three days a week. Doctors bumped up his time in dialysis after Monday’s treatment results showed elevated levels of phosphorus and aluminum.
“Too much phosphorus in his blood,” said his friend and caregiver Glennia Milonich, “will cause complete kidney failure and death even on dialysis.
“The only remedy is a kidney donor.”
Erwin is registered with OSU Wexner Medical Center for a March transplant class. It would be great to go with his donor, Milonich said.
She would do it, but her own medical problems prohibit her from participating.
Ewrin, who settled in the lake 37 years ago, has a positive blood type but a negative blood type does not necessarily preclude someone from donating a kidney.
OSU offers information on living kidney donations at wexnermedical.osu.edu/kidneydonor .
Interested donors can also call (800) 293-8965 selection option 3, or by email to [email protected] .
Milonich also said potential donors could call or text her at (937) 935-5706.
“It’s hard to grasp all of this,” she said. “He has survived all the other things only to get to this point and this can take his life.”