Nicholas, a 33-year-old man, faced a life-changing diagnosis of kidney problems stemming from Crohn’s disease. After years of managing his condition, it became evident that a kidney transplant was inevitable. Despite his mother’s initial plan to donate, a breast cancer diagnosis prevented her from doing so.Nicholas, a 33-year-old man, faced a life-changing diagnosis of kidney problems stemming from Crohn’s disease. After years of managing his condition, it became evident that a kidney transplant was inevitable. Despite his mother’s initial plan to donate, a breast cancer diagnosis prevented her from doing so. Nicholas turned to his closest friends from grade school, and his best friend, Pat Wise, emerged as a potential donor. Wise, a 29-year-old living in Virginia, received Nicholas’s request and promptly completed the donor application. Upon being declared a match, Wise traveled to Chicago for the transplant procedure. Surgeons removed one of Wise’s kidneys and transplanted it into Nicholas. The surgery was a success, and Wise’s selfless act of donating his kidney has extended Nicholas’s life. Nicholas credits his nephrologist, Dr. Cybele Ghossein, for guiding his pre-transplant preparation and ensuring the longevity of his natural kidneys. This heartwarming story highlights the extraordinary bond between friends and the incredible power of organ donation. Wise’s willingness to give Nicholas a life-saving gift is a testament to their lifelong friendship and the profound impact that one person can have on another.
Nicholas’ best friend since primary school donates him a kidney
At age 16, Nicholas began experiencing kidney problems after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease years earlier. Routine laboratory tests showed that his kidney function had declined and further tests revealed that there was inflammation in his kidneys that was causing damage, but the cause was never found.
He was able to avoid dialysis and managed it with medications. But after moving to Chicago in early 2022 and receiving care at Northwestern Medicine, his kidney function deteriorated and it became clear he would eventually need a kidney transplant.
Nicholas credits his Northwestern Medicine nephrologist, Cybele Ghossein, MD, with guiding his pre-transplant preparation and extending the life of his natural kidneys as long as possible.
But there were some challenges in finding a donor for Nicholas. His mother originally planned to be his donor, but was then unable to donate due to a breast cancer diagnosis. Nicholas then turned to the group of friends he has known since grade school while growing up in the Indianapolis suburb of Zionsville, Indiana. His best friend, 29-year-old Pat Wise, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia and works for a public health organization, remembers getting that text.
“I was in my kitchen cooking dinner and John sent a message that said, ‘My doctor says it’s time for me to start looking for kidney donors.’ I stared at my phone and filled out the form that night without hesitation,” Wise said. “Jan is a good friend. He needed a kidney, and I had an extra one. I had to at least explore the possibilities of being his donor.”
Wise was declared a match and traveled to Chicago, where surgeons removed one of his kidneys and transplanted it into Nicholas.
