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A Penticton man is thankful to have his life back after receiving a kidney transplant last week.

Jason Yadlowski has been on kidney dialysis for over a year, but was given a second chance at life last week when he learned he would be receiving a transplant. Coincidentally, when Yadlowski arrived at Vancouver General Hospital to have the procedure done, he ran into former Penticton Indian Band Chief Stewart Phillip who was also receiving a kidney transplant.

Yadlowski and Phillip had become friends over the last two years as they got to know to know each other during their regular dialysis treatments at Penticton Regional Hospital.

Yadlowski received his transplant Monday, Feb. 1 and Phillip鈥檚 surgery was performed Wednesday, Feb. 3. Both Penticton men are recovering well in hospital.

Yadlowski, who works at the Penticton Rec centre, was shocked to discover another Pentictonite 鈥� let alone someone he knew 鈥� was undergoing the same surgery at the same hospital as him.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know he was also getting a kidney at the same time,鈥� said Yadlowski. 鈥淚 was in my hospital bed and asked the person next to me, 鈥榳here you from?鈥� and he said Penticton and I was like 鈥榦h, I鈥檓 from Penticton, what are the odds of that鈥� and it ended up being him!鈥�

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Yadlowski鈥檚 kidney came from a deceased donor while Phillip鈥檚 was donated by his daughter. Both men will stay in Vancouver for another two to three months for regular check-ins with doctors.

Yadlowski and Phillip were previously receiving kidney dialysis treatments at Penticton Regional Hospital, requiring treatments three days a week for three to four hours. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty much a part-time job,鈥� Yadlowski said of his dialysis treatments.

Now that he has received a transplant, Yadlowski is elated to have his life back. 鈥淵ou feel so much better鈥� there鈥檚 no more dialysis and you start feeling pretty normal again,鈥� said the father of two. 鈥淵ou have your life back really and it鈥檚 thanks to someone giving you a kidney or you would die.鈥�

After two years on dialysis, Yadlowski was elated to learn doctors had found him a donor.

Doctors told Yadlowski and his family that they had found a donor at 9 p.m. the night before he was expected to be in Vancouver for surgery. 鈥淎s soon as one comes up that matches you, they give you a call and you have to leave right away, like right now,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a scramble but we did it,鈥� Yadlowski鈥檚 wife Julie Forrest said. She will be by his side helping him recover in Vancouver for the next few months.

The biggest thing he鈥檚 now excited for is being able to watch his kids grow up, said the father of an eight-year-old and 10-year-old.

鈥淚t will just be nice for Jason to be able see them go to the beach and swim and grow up,鈥� said Julie.

鈥淚t鈥檚 tough to even say in words but you鈥檙e just so grateful,鈥� Yadlowski said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to make this battle for them (the donor) too, so them dying and giving me the kidney didn鈥檛 go to waste. I鈥檓 going to live life with my kids to the fullest for them too.鈥�

Many people are unaware of how easy it is to become an organ and potentially save a life, Yadlowski. He encourages anyone who may be interested in organ donation to look further into the process.

For more information on kidney transplants in B.C., visit .

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jesse.day@pentictonwesternnews.com
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