The below article appeared July 4th, 2003 in the Salida, Colorado Mountain Mail
Doug Jones is Marje Neice "Wilkinson's" son and what a great human being he is!
Friday the 13th a ‘lucky’ day for kidney donor, recipient
Doug Jones, left, and his pal, Chad Mooring, visit at the Mayo Clinic before the transplant surgery
in which Jones gave one of his kidneys to Mooring on June 13.
update by Arlene Shovald
Doug Jones said Friday the 13th is his lucky day.
That was the June day the Pueblo paramedic donated one
of his kidneys to his friend and co-worker, Chad Mooring in an
operation which took place at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Jones
is the son of Dr. Ron Jones of Salida and Marjorie Wilkinson of
Chatsworth, Calif. He lived in Salida from 1969 to 1976 and attended
Salida schools through fifth grade. “After my parents’
divorce, I left to live with my mom, younger sister and brother in
Colorado Springs,” Jones said. After graduating from high
school, he earned a bachelor of science degree in electronics
engineering technology and then, “kind of by accident,” got
involved in emergency medical services, went to emergency medical
technician school and later became a paramedic. “I’ve been in
EMS since 1988,” Jones said. He and Chad Mooring, 33, became
friends in about 1995. Jones was working for American Medical
Response, a private ambulance service in Pueblo and Mooring was
working for another service.Jones continues as a paramedic with
AMR. Mooring is a firefighter with the Pueblo Rural Fire Department
and is a part-time paramedic with AMR. Mooring has had kidney
problems since he was 16. When his second kidney transplant
failed and Jones learned no one else in Mooring’s family was a
match, he was tested and learned — to his delight — he was a
high degree match. “It wasn’t a hard decision to give one of
my kidneys to Chad,” Jones said. “When his last transplant
failed and he had to go on dialysis, he looked terrible. I wasn’t
sure he was going to make it. “When I found out none of his
family members was a match — and that I was — I knew he needed
one of my kidneys more than I did.”Initially Jones’ family
members showed some worry, but they were supportive. His family
includes his fiancé, Jennifer Bostian; her children, Kamryn, 6, and
Jace, 3 and Jones’ daughter, Danika, 11. “Jennifer is also a
paramedic and went to Mayo with me,” Jones said. “I appreciated
having her looking out for me.” Mooring’s family includes his
wife, Gina, and sons Hun-ter, 4, and Raif, 5 months. When Jones
offered Mooring his kidney, Jones described his friend as “cautiously
optimistic.” “I could tell he was pretty excited and
obviously grateful,” Jones said. “The closer we got to
sur-gery, the more he kept asking if I was sure I wanted to go
through the process. I told him repeatedly the only way this wasn’t
going to happen was if he chickened out!” Surgery was
originally scheduled at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver
in April or May. “At one point the hospital tried to
disqualify me as a donor because they felt my blood pressure was too
high,” Jones said. “I was devastated. “Then we found out
they did things quite a bit differently at the Mayo Clinic in Roch-ester,
Minn., so we sought treatment there. “When Mayo looked at my
blood pressure, they monitored it for 18 hours straight and it
averaged 110/71. I never really did get nervous. I had the utmost
confidence in the surgical staff at Mayo.” The surgery took
place Friday, June 13 and so far things are good. “That was a
lucky day in my book,” Jones said. “I had to be off work a
week before the surgery and three weeks after. I’ll be returning
to work July 8. “Chad had the same time off before, but four
to six weeks — at least — after. He’s definitely had the hard
part of this deal. “He’s still in Rochester and should be
back in Pueblo in about two weeks.” Mooring recently received
results of his second biopsy and everything looks optimistic — no
signs of rejection. “You never heard Chad complain,” Jones
said. “Before the transplant, he was doing dialysis three days a
week and for that day and most of the next, he couldn’t work
because he was so weak. “That meant having maybe two good days
a week. His color was poor and his spirit was weak. His wife, Gina,
told me the thing that bothered him most was not being able to play
with his kids, but he just didn’t have the energy.” Two days
after being discharged from Mayo, Mooring was on the ground playing
Lincoln Logs with his son and was laughing and smiling. He’ll
be on expensive anti-rejection medications for the rest of his life
and only some of those costs are covered by insurance. A fund has
been established to help him. The fund is Kidney Transplant for Chad
Mooring, Decibel Credit Union, 300 W. Fifth St., Pueblo, CO, 81003
Account No. 354168. Jones must complete a physical agility test
before resuming duties as a paramedic. AMR gave him two weeks off
with pay and he is trying to get in a few hours here and there in
the meantime so he has some vacation time left. “I’ll have
some lifting res-trictions for a few weeks, but long term should be
no problem,” he said. “My remaining kidney will enlarge some
to help compensate for the missing one. “I’ll watch my blood
pressure and salt intake a bit closer, but that’s it.” The
message he wants to get across to others is the importance of organ
donation. “Live donation may not be for everyone,” he said,
“but at least make sure you are an organ donor after you die. “It’s
not enough to fill out a donor card though. You need to discuss the
issue with your family so they will be sure to follow through with
your wishes. “There are thousands of people waiting for organs
and many never get them. I urge everyone to think about the
difference you could make in someone’s life. Isn’t that what it’s
all about?” Jones asked. More information about organ donations
is available at www.mayoclinic.org/kidneytransplant-rst/, or
www.ustransplant.org/facts.html or http://www.organdonor.gov