As a chef, Melvin Austin was used to working odd hours. Soda, sweet tea, and chocolate cake, along with a 2 a.m. snack, kept him awake during graveyard shifts.
Melvin wasn’t too worried until one day in 2002 when he arrived at work out of breath.
“I thought I was overworked and needed rest. I also knew I was overweight,” says the 55-year-old from Gainesville, Florida. However, Melvin’s boss sent him to the hospital. “Then I realized that I have kidney failure”
He continued to work, but Melvin’s condition worsened and he started working. dialysis Several times a week near his house. For the next 10 years, he continued his dialysis and focused on exercise and proper nutrition.
Melvin was initially told: kidney transplant That wasn’t an option, but one of the nurses and nutritionists in Gainesville encouraged him to ask again. Melvin visited several transplant centers before choosing Mayo Clinic, about two hours north of Jacksonville, Florida.
“Mayo Clinic accepted me for who I was and gave me hope,” Melvin says.
On January 6, 2021, he received word that a match had been found. “I almost somersaulted. I was so happy to be done with dialysis after 12 years!”
Today, Melvin continues to cook well, but with a different focus. “Fresh is best. And I always used to add salt. I don’t do that anymore.”
He added that he was amazed at how his body recovered after the transplant and how much the foods he once craved now seemed less appealing. “I wanted to eat pork and ribs. Now I don’t eat pork. Now I eat chicken and salad. And I don’t drink soda, I drink a lot of water.”
Austin credits his three children and his best friend for serving as his caregiver over the past 20 years. “They all did a great job helping me on this journey. They all kept me on track and made sure I got to my appointments. I appreciate them and I love them dearly,” he says.
Austin is grateful to the Mayo Clinic kidney transplant team and all of the staff who took care of him before, during and after the transplant, but he also would like to thank the donor and his family for giving him a second chance at life. He says he is most grateful. . “I named this my precious gift Miracle. Miracles happen every day, but this is the best one I have received,” he says.
He encourages others to take care of themselves and “never give up hope.”
