Faces of the Games
ROB KNOX, 39
Augusta, Maine
At the age of 22, Rob Knox was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. By the time he reached his 30s, the disease had weakened his kidneys to the point that he needed dialysis in order to stay alive. But the daily peritoneal dialysis treatments landed Rob in the hospital in December 2002 with a diabetic foot ulcer and other serious complications.
Immediately, he began hemodialysis hoping to rid his body of toxins so his foot would heal. While this treatment helped some, his foot wound worsened, leaving doctors with little choice but to amputate his left leg right below the knee. For a 36-year-old man, losing his leg was an enormous blow. On top of this, his condition made him feel so weak and tired that he had trouble making it through a full day of work as an engineering technician. Doctors thought his best option would be a kidney pancreas/transplant. A new pancreas would treat the diabetes while the new kidney would restore his kidney function and free him from dialysis treatments.
Rob was listed for a transplant and began his wait for new organs, which he knew could take many months, perhaps years. Eight months later, in August of 2002, he was told that there was a kidney available for him. He had a choice: take the new kidney and be free of dialysis but subject himself to both the risk of shortening the life of his transplanted kidney because of his untreated diabetes and undergoing a second transplant operation when a pancreas became available. He opted for the kidney, knowing it would free him of the exhausting dialysis treatments.
The kidney had been provided anonymously by a woman who was willing to donate one of her kidneys so that her husband could move to the top of his waiting list. Rob underwent the surgery with few complications and was home within four days. He soon returned to work and resumed his life with more energy than he had had in years. In June of 2004, Rob attended the National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games in Minneapolis. With sores on his foot from diabetes, Rob still managed to participate in the Games wearing a foot cast and using a wheelchair to compete in the shot put throw. Even though he came in last place, it was a proud moment for both Rob and his wife, Karen.
Five months following the Transplant Games, in November of 2005, Rob received a pancreas transplant. His sores have healed, his blood sugars are normal and he is now more active, outgoing and social than he has been in years. Rob has written to both of his donors to thank them and has received a card back from the anonymous woman donor. He is optimistic that he will soon hear from his pancreas donor family and hopes to one day thank both the live donor and the family of the deceased pancreas donor in person.
This June, Rob will compete in the Transplant Games in Louisville, Kentucky, where he will celebrate both the miracle of transplantation and his improved health and life. While there, he will compete in shot put and softball throw with the goal of improving upon his earlier performance. Win or lose, however, Rob knows he’s in possession of the best prize of all -- a chance to live a healthy and active life.
