Receiving the Gift of Life - County Line Magazine

“Before my diagnosis, organ transplants were something I had never even thought
about,” said Kirk. “After receiving the diagnosis of PSC, it became obvious that someday
my life would be dependent on receiving a transplant.” Kirk’s condition worsened when
he became jaundiced from the excessive amount of bile in his bloodstream caused by
the blockage of his bile ducts in his liver. After an unsuccessful
stent procedure that was supposed to open up his bile ducts
and alleviate his itching, he developed severe pancreatitis and
was hospitalized at Emory University Hospital for 12 days. During
this hospitalization, the Emory Transplant Center team of doctors
suspected that Kirk had also developed Bile Duct Cancer. After recovering
from the pancreatitis, Kirk continued to go through stent
replacements every 6 weeks. During these procedures, brushings
were taken to check for malignant cells in the bile ducts. In February
2010, Kirk was told that the most recent brushings confirmed
that cancerous cells were in his bile ducts and that he would need
to undergo six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation to contain
the cancer. Upon successfully completing this therapy, Kirk would
then be put on the liver transplant list and hopefully transplanted
within two to three months.
Kirk at the 2013 “Swing
Easy, Hit Hard” golf tournament.
Kirk began his first day of chemo and radiation on March 11, 2010. Six weeks later, he
took his last infusion on April 22 nd . After several more tests, Kirk was finally put on the
transplant list with UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) on May 15 th . Although
Kirk was battling cancer in his bile ducts, his overall health was remarkably good. This
meant that although he was on the transplant list, he was very low on the list because
organs are given out based on the severity of sickness. Two days later on May 17 th —a
day before his 37 th birthday, Kirk received an exception based on his cancer diagnosis
and was moved to the top of the list.
At 11pm on May 19 th , the phone rang at the Franz’s, and Kirk heard the voice from the
Emory Transplant Center asking him if he could get to the hospital within the next few
hours to begin his liver transplant. “Shannon and I were stunned, scared and ecstatic
all at the same time. We were so thankful for God’s graceful timeliness in getting ‘the
Call.’ Having to wait less than a week from being listed was a true blessing,” said Kirk.
Following the transplant surgery, Kirk stayed at Emory University Hospital for a week.
The day after he went home, he was told by his team of doctors that the pathology on
the remaining bile duct in his pancreas showed that he had high grade dysplasia. The
cells in his remaining bile duct were not cancerous yet, but would be if left untreated.
Just nine short days after receiving his liver transplant, Kirk underwent a complicated
surgical procedure called a “Whipple” that removed the remaining bile duct, part of his
pancreas, and a third of his stomach. Two major surgeries within nine days of each other
were debilitating for Kirk, and he began the long process of healing and regaining his
strength. After six months recuperating, Kirk returned to work and resumed activities
with his family and friends.
As Kirk got back to his normal routine of work and family, he felt called to find a way to
“give back” to others who would require an organ transplant. “I had no idea how often
people in the Atlanta area were receiving organ transplants. There are several each
week.” In 2012, with the help of his family and friends, Kirk established an annual charity
golf tournament and the Swing Easy Hit Hard Foundation, a registered 501 (c) (3)
fundraising organization whose mission is to increase organ donation awareness and
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CountyLine | August 2013 | www.CountyLineMagazine.net