Nanaimo man offers up kidney for his close friend

Nanaimo Daily News | Julie Chadwick
When Bill Brendon, left, learned that his close friend Randy Spensley needed a new kidney and was out of options, he stepped forward to donate one of his own, an unforgettable experience for both men. Photograph by: Julie Chadwick/Daily News
After three family members had been ruled out, the chances that 53-yearold Randy Spensley would get the kidney donation he needed began to look slim.

On daily peritoneal dialysis, the Nanaimo resident knew that the average wait time for a kidney once dialysis began could be anywhere from five to seven years, as kidneys top the list of organs most-needed for transplant.

Due at least in part to the rising prevalence of kidney disease in the province, close to 80 per cent of the 527 British Columbians currently on the transplant waiting list need a kidney, according to B.C. Transplant.

However what Spensley didn't realize was that his friend Bill Brendon had been keeping tabs on his progress, and when it looked like his options for a family donor had been ruled out, he decided to step forward.

On June 25, the duo celebrated the first anniversary since the operation that removed Brendon's left kidney and gave it to Spensley.

"At the beginning I thought he was just doing it out of guilt," said Spensley with a laugh. "I've known Bill for quite a while, and I thought he was just saying something nice. But then as we met subsequently I would always check with him to say, 'Are you still on board?' and he was. He was totally on board the entire time."
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______________________________________________________ 
"You have the power to SAVE lives." 
To register as a donor TODAY
In California: 
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 
Outside California: 
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

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