Region man pleads for live kidney donor to save his life

“Or I will die much sooner than I would otherwise,” he told me before undergoing dialysis treatment this week.

The 32-year-old father of three young children from Valparaiso spoke with a tired voice but a hopeful tone. He didn’t ask for pity. He didn’t ask for condolences. He asked only for help to find a match to receive a new kidney. (Watch a video of Summerhill in his own words at NWI.com.)

“Organ donation saved my life once and I’m hoping it can do it again,” Summerhill said.

In 2018, he successfully underwent a pancreas transplant after years of health problems as a “very, very brittle” type 1 diabetic. He hasn’t needed a drop of insulin since the day of his transplant surgery. But for the past few months, his kidneys have been failing him.

“It all started last October with powerful medications that began killing my kidneys,” Summerhill said while adjusting an IV port implanted in his chest. “I was just diagnosed with dialysis disequilibrium syndrome.”

DDS refers to an array of neurological manifestations that are seen during or following dialysis, ranging from headaches, nausea, or blurred vision to confusion, restlessness and seizures.

“I’ve felt pretty much normal most of my life. Not these days,” he said.

Summerhill, who was diagnosed with diabetes at 10 years old, received a life-changing pancreas transplant in 2018. He endured six surgeries over four days due to blood clots, internal bleeding and plummeting blood pressure. One of those surgeries was to make sure his new pancreas functioned properly.

“By the grace of God it was still perfect,” his wife, Sidney, said.

The first year after surgery, Summerhill suffered from a rare infection in his esophagus with only 25 known cases in the world and the first case in Indiana, he said. It took doctors a few months to correctly diagnose it, causing his health to further decline and his gallbladder to be removed.

Summerhill was later diagnosed with cytomegalovirus, or CMV, a common virus which most people don’t know they have because it rarely causes health problems.

“It’s different for people like me with a weakened immune system,” Summerhill said.

He was administered very potent intravenous anti-viral medication that began damaging his kidneys. For five years, Summerhill struggled with kidneys functioning at half of their healthy capacity.

“Five months ago, everything worsened,” he said. “My levels are dangerously abnormal.”

Summerhill’s initial health decline occurred in 2012 when he was involved in a traffic crash, shattering his pelvis and breaking his back. It led to a series of related medical issues, injections and procedures.

“I haven’t been normal since then,” Summerhill said matter-of-factly. “My numbers are going further and further down.”

Due to his debilitating illness, Summerhill is currently not working as a manager at Texas Roadhouse steakhouse in Crown Point, where I first met him last year. Soon after that day, he contracted COVID-19. His health fluctuated for weeks. Pneumonia attacked his helpless immune system three times in two months.

Doctors prescribed more antibiotics, steroids and eventually a bronchoscopy to see what exactly was in his lungs. A central IV line was inserted into his chest to administer more meds but his frail body couldn’t handle the doses. Toxicity seeped into his blood. His kidney function dropped to just 30%. Summerhill was told he needs a kidney transplant and he’s now on a waiting list from a deceased donor.

“I’m not sure how long I can wait, though,” he said. “I’m still trying to process this fact of my life.”

“We are looking for living kidney donors because the wait is three to five years for the United Network for Organ Sharing,” his wife said.

The couple is doing what they can to find a living donor and to educate people about organ donation. They shared with me a list of myths versus facts, such as this one.

“Myth: I’d like to donate one of my kidneys. Can I do that if it’s not going to a family member?”

“Fact: Yes. Most living donations are between family members and friends. But you can choose to donate a kidney to a stranger so long as you’re a match. You also can donate other organs and tissues, such as a lung or part of a lung or liver.”

Potential donors can be tested, at no cost.

“The process starts by making an appointment to be evaluated with blood work and other tests,” Summerhill said. “Then meet with the transplant team to see if they feel you are a good fit for a transplant.” (For more info, visit https://iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/kidney-transplant.)

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. a fundraiser titled “Kidney for Carl” is planned at Wanatah Christian Church, 11978 S. County Road 1100 West. Tickets can be purchased at [email protected].

“Even just the thought of possibly saving my life means everything to me,” Summerhill said. “All I can do is put my faith in God and hope someone has it in their heart to help keep me alive for my wife, kids and family.”

I asked Summerhill what he’s facing if he doesn’t receive a new kidney. His immediate response cut to the bone of his situation.