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Perseverance
Padraic McCole, 19
Rosemont , Pennsylvania
The summer after his first birthday, Padraic McCole played like any other outgoing, active toddler, which seemed to explain his extraordinary thirst, but didn’t explain his slow growth. His pediatrician ran some lab tests to get to the root of the problem. To his parents' dismay, sixteen-month-old Padraic was diagnosed with urinary tract reflux, abnormally small, dysplastic kidneys, and, later, hearing loss. By his third birthday, Padraic underwent ureter re-implantation surgery to solve the reflux, which kept further contamination of his damaged kidneys at bay. That surgery, his medication and an extremely restricted diet bought Padraic 10 more years. But at 13 years old, Padraic’s kidney transplant was inevitable.
Both parents were tested and since mom, Moira, was a near-perfect match, she became the donor. Dad, Brian, knew the risks: "I was terrified when the two people closest to me were getting wheeled into surgery at the same time. My prayers were answered when I found out that they were both OK."
"I knew Padraic would make it because he's very strong-willed. In fact,” recalls Moira, “he chose to focus on the butterfly stroke in swimming because it was the hardest. He likes a good challenge."
And a challenge is exactly what he got at the National Kidney Foundation 2004 U.S. Transplant Games. Full of hope, the confident 19-year-old high school junior left the Games with six medals draped around his neck and the Outstanding Male Athlete award. This week he is looking to repeat that performance in the swimming and volleyball events at the 2006 U.S. Transplant Games.
