It has been a little over two years since Tri-Valley vocational agriculture instructor and FFA advisor, Brian Merce, underwent kidney transplant surgery. He is healthy, more energetic, and happy to be enjoying life as an adored teacher, husband, and most recently a father.
Brian was diagnosed with stage 3 chronic kidney disease in 2017. While waiting to qualify for transplant surgery he entered stage 5 of the life-threatening disease. He underwent dialysis three days a week for three years.
“Throughout this story, God showed up several times in my opinion,” said Brian. First was taking an extra screening that he normally skipped but for some reason that day he agreed to it. The doctor found bleeding in the back of his eyes, if he had not caught it then he could have lost his sight. He was referred to a specialist. The second time God stepped in was when he was able to get into the specialist who was normally booked for months, but by a miracle, was able to see him the next week. The specialist found that he had unchecked high blood pressure for at least two years and sent him to the ER for immediate treatment. Brian shortly after got a new doctor, Dr. Sean Barnes, who made the diagnosis and was instrumental in saving his life.
Brian’s wife of nine years this August, Courtney, also played several important roles from his diagnosis to recovering from his transplant. She has been a huge support person, a caretaker and spearheaded a massive outreach by starting a Facebook page that followed his journey throughout the process of finding a kidney and beyond. “She is the best advocate, I mean I am confident that I would have died if it had not been for her,” Brian explained. Courtney added, “While doing home dialysis I had to keep track of all of his vitals, medicines, everything.— In my journal, I can tell you the day he went toxic because the home dialysis was not working for him.”
In 2020, after losing 100 pounds, Brian met all of the requirements to be added to the wait list for a donor. The process of finding a match is often long, as there are many factors beyond just blood type that enter into whether someone is a match or not. Brian had several people offer to be a donor and undergo testing to see if they were a match. Among those were family members and even a student. Eventually after waiting for over a year a match was found. Betsy Ritchie, who also worked for the Tri-Valley School District, was a match! Betsy heard about Brian through various channels which led her to the Facebook page Courtney started. Prior to this, the two had never met.
Because of COVID, Brian had to be extra careful while still at work, and eventually as he was approved for a transplant, he had to take a leave of absence from his job at the high school to ensure he remained healthy enough for the procedure ahead. The district was very supportive during the entire process. His students, which you can tell mean so much to Brian, were thoughtful by making sure to keep a safe distance and wipe down various things in the classroom to help keep him safe.
Since the transplant and recovery period, Brian and Courtney have been able to travel, attend concerts, and enjoy life. He appreciates life more and does not worry about the small stuff. The most significant change in their lives is the addition of a new member of their family, their two-year-old foster son who they hope to adopt. “We kind of had a soft spot for it (fostering),” said Brian. “The first thing he said to me was he feels like we have so much love to give,” Courtney commented. “Don’t get me wrong, our hearts will break if he goes back, but if I can help him (their foster son) be a better person, and if I can show him love and safety and all of those things. — When we first got him he did not talk a whole lot. Now he is saying sentences. — The biggest thing too is just like we both have been able to get him to tell us what’s wrong when he is upset. Like to me that’s our reward, is him being able to feel safe and to be able to say those things.”
“The biggest thing (after being diagnosed with kidney disease), I guess it’s twofold, first to get the word out there and the second thing is talk to somebody who gets it. — It’s kind of like a club you’re in but there is only one way to get in, and once you’re in everybody in it gets it.” Brian explained. Brian hopes to help others affected by kidney disease, by being a support person for them since he understands what they are going through. You can reach him through the Facebook page, Brian’s Journey to a New Kidney.
photo by Scott Whetherholt
