COLUMN BY MATT PRANGER

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Benefit dinner 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 at Roche Harbor Pavilion.

If you have an item or service you want to donate please contact: Hannah Waite 298-0579, Genevieve Iverson 378-4653, or Catherine Bevens 378-5023. They can also be reached by email at hannah.waite@hotmail.com.

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Students champion fund-raising effort for Mr. Sawyer

Teacher needs kidney transplant

posted 10/01/2009

While many of her Friday Harbor High School classmates are Tweeting, texting or just hanging out after school, Hannah Waite has been championing an effort to help one of her teachers, and potentially many others. The senior is raising awareness for organ donation by spearheading a Friday, Oct. 2 benefit dinner for social studies teacher Greg Sawyer, who needs a kidney transplant.

Hannah was too young at age 10 to fathom the seriousness of organ donation when her grandmother donated a kidney to her father, Gordy Waite. As she learned more about what one of her favorite teacher's was facing, her understanding and passion grew.

"It's something I've been interested in recently when I realized how lucky my family is and what a big deal it is to get a kidney donation," Hannah said. "I'm encouraging people to donate blood and to become an organ donor."

Hannah decided to do more than spread the word -- she began organizing the fund-raising dinner and auction for Mr. Sawyer. "It's something that could bring our community together," Hannah said.

Genevieve Iverson and Catherine Bevens learned of Hannah's efforts and decided to pitch in. "We wanted to help out any way we could," Catherine said.

She shares Hannah's view of organ donation. "It doesn't make sense to not be an organ donor," Catherine said. "It's such a simple way to give back."

The girls received a boost when the Friday Harbor Purple and Gold Club decided to take on the fund-raiser. "We're grateful to Purple and Gold for stepping in and helping organize and sponsor this event," Hannah said.

Catherine, Hannah and Genevieve solicited donations for an auction and drawing at the dinner at Roche Harbor Resort's pavilion. More than 40 items from dinners at local restaurants to business services have been donated. The girls also sold dinner tickets at football games and at Friday Harbor Market Place.

"There's been amazing community support," Catherine said.

The supporters include Sawyer's fellow teachers, who are adding a sweet touch to the lasagna dinner -- they're baking the desserts.

Sawyer is grateful to the students. "That's awesome that they're doing this," he said.

He's also thankful to the islanders who have donated items or services for the dinner and auction: "We just have some very generous people here."

Like many people who don't expect help from others, the native Michigander finds accepting others' generosity an awkward experience. "It's a good feeling but it's an uncomfortable feeling," he said.

In recent years Sawyer has become more familiar with physical discomfort. Many people assume he suffers from diabetes but that's not the case. Six or seven years ago he was feeling poorly and on his birthday learned he developed a condition called glomerulonephritis, or GN. His immune system attacked his body. "Mine chose my kidneys… That knocked out a good third of my kidney in one fell swoop," Sawyer said.

What triggered the GN attack remains a mystery. "Doctors still don't know what caused it," Sawyer said. "Some speculate it was a virus."

Medication stabilized his condition but the tissue in his kidneys was scarred. "That's it. There's no rejuvenation," Sawyer said. "I knew from then I would have to get a kidney or dialysis."

Sawyer's kidneys continued to function better than doctors' original prognosis. "They lasted a lot longer than I thought they would," he said.

His renal system's ability to remove toxins from blood and to help control hormones, blood pressure, vitamin levels started declining more rapidly about a year ago. "It's a big regulatory system and when it doesn't work right, it throws your body off," he said.

Sawyer's name was placed on a transplant list this spring. Doctors told him the average wait time to receive a donated kidney is one to two years. "The way I look at it is, when they roll me in to the room then I know I'm going to get one," Sawyer said.

Transplanted kidneys come from live or deceased donors. "A live donor is the best way to go," Sawyer said. "That way there is a lot more control over the situation."

Though people can live fine with one kidney, Sawyer does not expect a live person to give up one of theirs to him. "I'd never ask anyone directly...I don't want anyone to feel they are pressured into it," he said.

People interested in exploring live transplantation, should know the process is very private. The recipient need not know you are considering donating. A transplant team evaluates potential donors to make sure they are compatible with a recipient. More information on organ and tissue donation will be available at the fund-raising dinner. Information is also available on The National Kidney Foundation's website.

While he waits for a new kidney Sawyer soon will start daily peritoneal dialysis, which uses the membrane lining (peritoneum) of the abdomen as a filter to clean blood and remove excess fluid. He can accomplish this daily at home. "I can live without arterial dialysis, which is much nicer," Sawyer said.

Arterial dialysis requires patients to go to a hospital and to have their blood filtered by a machine for three to four hours three days a week. "If I didn't get a kidney, I'd have to move," Sawyer said.

Currently one of Sawyer's biggest challenges is not having the energy he desires. "The worst part of the whole thing is I get really tired." he said.

Sawyer, who used to regularly walk or ride his bike, is looking forward to the day he's able to resume more rigorous exercise and life just being "much more manageable" with a properly working kidney.

"I'm fairly optimistic about the whole thing," Sawyer said. "I'll get a kidney eventually."

Until that happens islanders can help Sawyer by attending the dinner or making a donation to an account set up by Purple and Gold for him at Islanders Bank. Giving will help pay some of his bills not covered by insurance. And while you are writing out a check consider what Hannah, Catherine, Genevieve and many others have learned from Mr. Sawyer. As a teacher the past 12 years he's made an extra-generous donation to our community.

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