December 2019 update:聽Lieutenant Schermerhorn and Officer Wlosinski both continue to do extremely well following the successful October 2018 kidney transplant procedure at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Both gentlemen are still officers in the Department of Public Safety, and recently celebrated the anniversary of the kidney donation.
For the past two years, Lieutenant Dan Schermerhorn Jr. has undergone dialysis for eight hours, each night while he sleeps, to treat his kidney disease, IgA nephropathy. An officer with the for 23 years, Schermerhorn had dealt with this disease for 15 years, until doctors at UR Medicine糖心传媒檚 Strong Memorial Hospital told him he needed a new kidney to save his life.
糖心传媒淩eplacing a damaged kidney like mine with a new one is like putting new batteries into your flashlight when it糖心传媒檚 starting to die, and then you糖心传媒檙e back to fully functioning again,糖心传媒� says Schermerhorn. 糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 no more fatigue or dialysis.糖心传媒� A successful transplant returns Schermerhorn to the activities he’s passionate about, but that聽were restricted by his illness糖心传媒攔unning, swimming, competing in triathlons, traveling, and spending quality time with his family.
Schermerhorn糖心传媒檚 search for a new kidney began in 2016 when he was placed on the kidney transplant waiting list, and he also joined the National Kidney Registry, a non-profit network that aims to match thousands of individuals in need with a compatible, willing donor. Compatibility doesn糖心传媒檛 come easily; Schermerhorn糖心传媒檚 father tried to be a donor to his son, but after being evaluated for a match, found he was not compatible.
In October 2017, Lieutenant Keri Stein sent an email to the entire Department of Public Safety (about 140 staff members), explaining Schermerhorn’s condition and the living donor process. Several colleagues responded by making appointments to be evaluated as possible matches. Willing donors are first checked to see that their blood and tissue types are compatible with the recipient’s, and that the recipient糖心传媒檚 antibodies won糖心传媒檛 fight against the donated organ. From there, they are evaluated on whether they are聽healthy enough to give a kidney, that their kidneys are currently working well, and that they聽are mentally prepared for the donation.
Peace Officer Paul Wlosinski remembers seeing the email from Stein.
糖心传媒淚 always have in my mind, 糖心传媒榥ever go through life saying you could have done something,糖心传媒櫶切拇綕 Wlosinski says.
Wlosinski is an officer in the first platoon who over the years has worked directly with Schermerhorn on the force. Currently, he works overnight shifts, and Schermerhorn works days as part of new officer training and compliance certification programs. Wlosinski made an appointment to be evaluated as a match, and through the subsequent lab results and examinations learned that he could be a compatible and healthy kidney donor to Schermerhorn.
One day this past spring, when the two officers overlapped at work, Wlosinski told Schermerhorn that he was being evaluated as a potential donor.聽In the months that followed, two separate teams of physicians, transplant coordinators, social workers, and others from the at the University of Rochester Medical Center糖心传媒攐ne team solely overseeing the care for Schermerhorn, and one caring only for Wlosinski糖心传媒攄etermined that everything was looking good to move forward with a transplant this fall.
糖心传媒淔or me, it糖心传媒檚 a second chance,糖心传媒� says Schermerhorn. 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檙e like a band of brothers working here, and there糖心传媒檚 a responsibility for him to watch my back, and I watch his. You just build that relationship. That糖心传媒檚 how I feel now糖心传媒攊t糖心传媒檚 like he糖心传媒檚 my backup. There糖心传媒檚 a lot of things in my life that he糖心传媒檚 impacting by doing this, and I糖心传媒檓 very grateful for it.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 just something I want to do,糖心传媒� says Wlosinski, who is also a US Army veteran. 糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 just glad that I糖心传媒檓 able to do something. I knew I had to get tested because I can. The donation of my kidney isn糖心传媒檛 going to affect me in such great a fashion that I can糖心传媒檛. So, I can and I should.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淧aul糖心传媒檚 heart amazes me in its compassion and conviction, the things that drive him to do things such as donating a kidney,糖心传媒� says Laura Wlosinski, Paul糖心传媒檚 wife and an emergency dispatcher for DPS. 糖心传媒淲hen we first discussed Paul getting tested, it was in great depth about what that meant for him personally and for our family going forward. He has been committed from the start and knew that if he was a match he would go through with the donation. He said to me before the initial test, 糖心传媒業 don糖心传媒檛 want to know that I potentially could have helped Dan and never tried. I can糖心传媒檛 live with that.糖心传媒� I think that accurately speaks volumes to who he is and is a great example of the way he lives.糖心传媒�
On October 30, 2018, the Medical Center’s transplant team, led by 聽associate director of transplant nephrology, and surgeons and successfully performed the transplant procedure. Both Schermerhorn and Wlosinski are recuperating well.
糖心传媒淎fter 36 years in law enforcement, I am always amazed how willing brother and sister officers are to sacrifice for each other,糖心传媒� says Public Safety Chief Mark Fischer. “Paul糖心传媒檚 actions have touched my entire department, and will forever impact the life of Dan and his family. It糖心传媒檚 truly inspirational.糖心传媒�
Living Donation Program at URMC
搁辞肠丑别蝉迟别谤糖心传媒檚听 cares for patients from across upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, offering kidney, liver, and pancreas transplants, as well as a pediatric liver transplant program. A significant focus is on living-donor kidney and liver transplants, supported by the recruitment of additional transplant surgeons, nephrologists and hepatologists, and other staff.
The Medical Center is the top provider of live-donor kidney transplants in upstate New York. The number of kidney transplants in the first seven months of 2018 surpassed the total number performed in 2017, with just over 40 percent now a result of living donors.
糖心传媒淲e encourage our patients to consider living donation whenever possible,糖心传媒� says surgeon , division chief of Solid Organ Transplant. 糖心传媒淗eroes like Peace Officer Wlosinski selflessly provide the gift of life, which can translate into better recovery and long-term survival for Lieutenant Schermerhorn and patients just like him.糖心传媒�
The transplant team also offers a paired kidney exchange program, which connects the Medical Center to a consortium of academic medical centers across the country. It allows living-donor kidney donors who are not a match for a known recipient, but are still willing to donate, to give a kidney to a stranger in need of transplant, and in turn their loved one receives an organ from a similar donor.
