A short story about a long life….Written by Aunt Cheryl
I would like to introduce you to my Nephew Clint Coonrod.
He is a 39 year-old-father who has had many trials in this short time.
Shortly before he was to marry he began a battle with a rare disease, Wegener’s Granulomatosis. Back then they weren’t really sure what to do because diagnosis of Wegener’s was usually made after death. “Don’t plan on recovery,” the Doctors said, and yet here was this young man alive and planning on staying that way. There were many times the doctors were at a loss of what to do. Clint was “that guy” they tried it on and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. A lot of knowledge was gained. Others with Wegener’s lived too.
In 1991, one year later than they had planned, Clint & Deb were married. Even though it was a surprise, they got pregnant and in 1992 Kyle was born. In the fall of 1994 Deb was killed in a tragic car accident. That smile that glowed from the inside out is reflected in their son Kyle.
The next few years saw hospital stays, good days, not so good days, and the progression of the Wegener’s Disease. In 1996 Clint was dying of renal failure. Neither kidney was working. An almost perfect match was found. I think Hero, but Christy will tell you it is what a big sister does for her best brother. He received his sister’s kidney. Clint was also affected by severe headaches, infections and deterioration of the inner ear, which required surgeries to clean out and try to repair the damage done by the Wegener’s Granulomatosis.
Through all the good days and the not so good days Clint has kept his job with NIFCO (great guys); kept his house (quite well kept I might add); kept his hobbies—is that what you call ENDURO racing?
Clint’s LIVED….He’s rebuilt a beauty of a car with his dad; Being a dad himself he goes to Kyle’s wrestling matches; Got married again; Went hunting and fishing…….. Lived.
Now 12 years later the Wegener’s has all but destroyed the transplanted kidney. Again a very good match has been found. Again I think Hero, Whitney will tell you it’s just what a niece does for her best uncle.
As you might expect there will be recovery time for Clint. This means no income for a few months. We need your help.
Together, we can help fill that gap, so that Clint has a little less to worry about, better health to be thankful for, and the opportunity to go to Kyle’s wrestling matches, his graduation, and continue to Live this amazing life.
Thank you for your time and consideration of a cash donation or silent auction item. Please come to our events to support Clint.
LEFT: Clint's Niece Whitney Wells and Sister Christy Wells. Christy donated the first kidney to Clint. Whitney is currently planned to donate the second kidney Fall '08.
The Need
· Clinton Coonrod was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called Wegener’s Granulomatosis 18 years ago.
· Clint has had more than 20 surgeries and spent months in the hospital
· Clint’s kidneys failed and he had a kidney transplant in 1996. The kidney was donated by his sister Christy Wells.
· Recent complications have caused his one kidney to fail, and he is currently on dialysis. His body will only tolerate dialysis for a short period of time.
· Now Clint’s niece Whitney, daughter of the sister who donated the kidney for his first transplant, will donate a kidney.
· Clint will be unable to work for several months (without pay).
· We’d like to help Clint and son Kyle out during this difficult time.
Your support is appreciated!
Clint needs a kidney he needs help to pay for his basic living expenses while he is recovering from his second kidney transplant.
Please consider a personal donation, a business donation and/or a donation of items that can be used for Silent Auction Activities at each event.
The Disease - Wegener's Granulomatosis
Wegener's granulomatosis is an uncommon disease, in which the blood vessels are inflamed (vasculitis). This inflammation damages important organs of the body by limiting blood flow to those organs and des
troying normal tissue.
Although the disease can involve any organ system, Wegener's granulomatosis mainly affects the respiratory tract (sinuses, nose, trachea [windpipe], and lungs) and kidneys. This disorder can affect people at any age and strikes men and women equally.
Research Since the 1970s, research physicians at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of NIH, have been interested in Wegener's granulomatosis. NIAID scientists first introduced the combination of glucocorticoids with cyclophosphamide for treating people with this disease. While this was a dramatic breakthrough for the treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis, researchers realize that these medicines have serious side effects and cannot be tolerated by all people. Therefore, NIH researchers have continued to study Wegener's granulomatosis to understand the causes of the disease and to develop new treatments.
NIAID and other parts of NIH support research on Wegener's granulomatosis and related forms of vasculitis at medical centers throughout the country through the extramural grants program. For example, NIH has recently awarded a $6.25 million, 5-year grant to establish the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium (VCRC). The multicenter VCRC will foster and facilitate clinical investigation in the inflammatory vasculitides, including Wegener's granulomatosis.
The VCRC will consist of four major U.S. vasculitis centers:
- Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts
- The Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
- The Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center, Baltimore, Maryland
- The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota
Clint, with Aunt Tami and Cousin Jim - We grew up together.
