Kinnie overcomes setbacks to receive kidney from son

March is National Kidney Month, a time when communities work to raise awareness about kidney disease.

For a lot longer than a month, Joe Kinnie, his son Kelly and their family have learned a lot about kidneys, different types of dialysis, matches to potential donors and more. It has been a journey of nearly a year and a half, and it has been one of overcoming setbacks and obstacles to ultimately have a successful kidney transplant and get quickly on the road to recovery.

Joe had numerous family members willing to be donors, and his son Kelly was the best match and primary candidate. Originally scheduled for January 2020, the transplant was delayed for a year until it was finally done Jan. 27, 2021. The Kinnies’ determination, positive attitudes and willingness to adapt to the delays they faced along the way helped them see the process through to completion.

Kinnies face long road to transplant

In October 2019, it was discovered that fluid was building up in Joe’s chest. His doctor told him he had kidney failure and that he would have to go on dialysis.

One month later, Joe had a port put in his chest and began to undergo hemodialysis. He had to go for a four-hour treatment every other day in Sterling. He did this from November 2019 until March 2020, when his doctor told him he would be a good candidate for peritoneal dialysis.

Joe said this type of dialysis required him to have a port in his abdomen. He no longer had to travel as he had to for hemodialysis, and he was able to go through eight hours of peritoneal dialysis at night in his home. He used this type of dialysis from March 2020 until his eventual kidney transplant in January 2021.

When it came to potential donors, Joe had many people around him willing to step up and help.

In addition to Kelly and his wife Martha coming forward as potential donors, Joe’s wife Ruth, their daughters Shannon Johnson and Tammy Kinnie, and Ruth’s son Dan Poe all were ready to donate one of their kidneys to Joe.

Joe said Ruth’s chemotherapy prevented her from donating, and their daughters’ kidneys were not the right size for Joe. Kelly was the primary candidate, and he didn’t even blink at the prospect of going through with the operation.

“I had no hesitation whatsoever,” Kelly said. “It was the least I could do for him for what he’s done for me my whole life. It’s been rewarding to see how he’s changed,” he said, adding that Joe just was not himself before the surgery and now his color is much better and he’s more energetic.

In November 2019, Joe had an echocardiogram done, and the results were excellent. Kelly went through the necessary tests, which took about a month, and he was a great match as a donor. It looked as though things were on track for a January 2020 kidney transplant.

But it was not to be. Joe received a call regarding a December 2019 echocardiogram. He was told the results showed his heart wasn’t functioning well enough for the transplant. Joe was shocked given the excellent results of the prior month’s echocardiogram.

It turned out that some kind of mix-up had occurred with the results of the one taken in December 2019, and the echocardiogram showing complete heart failure was incorrect. Nevertheless, it was a setback and Joe had to wait longer than planned for the transplant.

Kelly said Joe took the news extremely well, especially considering he had another excellent echocardiogram a few months later in March 2020, showing no deterioration from the one he had in November 2019.

“That’s the farmer in him,” Kelly said. “Just buckle down and do what you got to do to get through it.”

Joe experienced more dashed hopes in April 2020, when he received a call from UCHealth in Aurora, letting him know that there was a kidney match with someone who had been involved in a car accident and was soon going to pass away.

However, it was not to be. The people who called him had not consulted with Joe’s coordinating team before making the call, and the team said Joe would need a live donor and wouldn’t be able to receive a kidney from a cadaver as he was not on the kidney transplant waitlist.

Finally, the transplant from Kelly was scheduled for Jan. 7, 2021. Joe experienced yet another delay. He had received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 6, so his medical team moved the transplant date to Jan. 27, which was when the procedure was performed at long last at UCHealth in Aurora.

Joe remained in the hospital five days after the transplant. He then rented an apartment in Aurora for about a month, remaining near the medical center. He said he had two drain ports coming out of his right side for a couple of weeks, and he had surgery March 2 to remove the peritoneal port and catheter.

Kelly was back home two days after the surgery, and he went back for a checkup about a week later, at which point he was still quite sore.

“The first week was pretty intense,” Kelly said of his recovery, but now he said he feels almost back to normal.

Joe checks in with his doctor using telehealth services every two weeks, and he has in-person appointments every four weeks.

Joe said he would highly recommend the procedure without hesitation to anyone in a similar situation.

“I’m more energized than I’ve ever been,” he added. “I’ve got my life back, a quality of life I haven’t had in a long time. I can’t be happier right now.”

He said he still gets tired and his stamina has decreased, but that will increase over time.

Kelly also recommended going through with the procedure from the donor side if someone is able to do so to help a loved one in need.

“I didn’t hesitate. If you’re able to save a life or give a better quality of life to someone, it’s a good thing,” he said.

Joe said he very much looks forward to being able to work back on the farm.

“Farming is where my heart’s at — always has been.” He also pointed out that he looks forward to target shooting with his grandson.

Joe and Kelly both said they really felt the support and prayers of the community throughout this journey.

“I had many people praying for me,” Joe said. “The power of prayer really facilitated the recovery.”

He said he appreciates all the support from Zion Lutheran Church and First Baptist Church, and he was quick to acknowledge that many other community members have helped him on the road to recovery, noting that it’s one of the many great things about small communities.

Joe summed it up very well when he spoke about the four weeks he spent in Aurora.

“I could hardly wait to get home.”