Community Magazine April 2013

NISSAN - EYAR 5773 APRIL 2013 33 Z ac Gindi remembers the day in 2008 quite clearly. It was a few days before the Giants beat the Patriots for the first time. He had just come back from an overseas trip when his wife pointed out a newspaper ad for Renewal, seeking a kidney donation for a mother of five. Intrigued, the two set out to learn more. “All she wanted from me was to go with her to hear what it’s all about,” Zac recalls, “and as I was listening to the presentation, I wanted to get involved, as well.” Renewal is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting people suffering from various forms of kidney disease, and facilitates kidney donations so they can receive a healthy, functioning kidney. Thus far, the group is responsible for arranging 200 transplants. In no time, Gindi found himself drawn to their message, offering his own kidney, and saving a life. His kidney was given to a 43-year-old father who, as Gindi describes, had been forced to undergo dialysis three hours a day, four days a week, and had little strength for everyday activities. “Kids don’t know how to manage through this,” he says. “You’re saving the whole family, and putting themback into normalcy.” “This is Not Something Farfetched” Studies show that one out of 10 adults has some form of kidney damage, and people with chronic kidney disease are 10 times more likely than healthy individuals to die of heart attacks and strokes. In some cases, the condition worsens to the point where the patient must be kept alive either through dialysis – usually by a machine which cleans their blood about three times a week – or by receiving a new, transplanted kidney. Besides assisting with the vast majority of the transplant-related costs, Renewal provides various services including doctor referrals, lists of dialysis centers and preferred hospitals, and has published a guide on frequently asked questions regarding kidney donation. “You can’t be a critically thinking person and ignore such brutal realities of what life is like living on a list, waiting for someone to give you a gift that will save your life and restore normalcy to the entire family unit,” Zac says. “That was overwhelming to me.” Kidneys are about the size of two fists that function as toxin scrubbers. Each day, our kidneys filter and clean 50 gallons of blood. They also help to produce red blood cells, and control our blood pressure. “For the donation,” Zac explains, “the organization outlays all of the realistic and proportionate risks involved, equivalent to having your appendix out. But they’re careful not to minimize it like there’s no risk.” Beyond the organization’s work with individual patients and donors, Zac adds, Renewal is also working to spread awareness and encourage people to consider becoming donors. “The biggest challenge, however, is that Renewal has is to enlighten the community to the doability – this is not something farfetched, of crazy proportions. Literally any healthy person can do this with zero consequence to their daily life.” Now a volunteer board member, Zac canvassed to eight synagogues over Shabbat last summer, mingling with people “to convince another person to join the club.” When asked whymore people do not donate, Zac explains, quite simply, “The reason people don’t do it is, who thinks of it? Nobody realizes that you’re a walking potential cure. And it’s not that difficult.” Saving Lives Menachem Friedman, program director for Renewal, joined the organization four and a half years ago, and has never looked back since. “This was the most interesting job I could imagine doing,” he says. “What a zchus [privilege] it is to be able to save lives. So it was a no brainer for me.” Explaining the organization’s work, Friedman says, “We guide the patients that need kidneys through the process. We’re there supporting them at every step, through questions, speaking to past donors, general information, and then preparing them for the surgery.” A large hurdle, he conceded, is ultimately finding donors. “There’s no formula to finding donors. But we desperately need many more people to come forward to save more lives. At the same time, the most important thing is making sure the donor is cared for, and not pressured into donating.” Rabbinic endorsements of the organization include: Rabbi Yisroel Zvi Brody, Rabbi Ephraim Greenblatt, Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, Rabbi Fishel Hershkowitz, Rabbi Hershel Halperin, Rabbi Michel Steinmetz, Rabbi ChaimYaakov Tauber, Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, Rabbi Israel Portugal of Skulen, Rabbi Dovid Feinstein and Rabbi Malkiel Kotler. To contact Renewal call: (718) 431- 9831 or email Mr. Friedman: mfriedman@ renewal.org . “Literally any healthy person can do this with zero consequence to their daily life…” (L-R) RENEWAL Director of Development David Schischa, Zac Gindi, AJ Gindi, Program Director Menachem Friedman, and Sol Wahba. RENEWAL – Giving People a Second Chance at Life DAVE GORDON