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Chase Harimon was undergoing a routine physical when, to his great surprise, he was diagnosed with kidney failure. “We were sent to a hospital in Denver for a biopsy, and to see if the kidneys could be saved,” says his father, Rick. The news wasn’t good. Chase would need a kidney transplant.
Chase’s mother, Lynn, wanted to be the donor, but after “countless” blood tests on her and Chase, they weren’t getting answers. “Something didn’t seem right,” recounts Rick. “The doctor in charge actually got upset with us because of all the questions we had. And by the time we were driving back from Denver, my family was in tears.”
Once home, after researching kidney transplants, Rick decided to call Mayo Clinic. He was connected to a nurse coordinator, Lynette Fix. “I don’t think I will ever forget her,” he says. “If it wasn’t for her, we would have never made it to Mayo Clinic.”
After further tests, it was determined that Lynn was unable to give her son a kidney. The search went on to find a match for Chase’s blood type and HLA tissue marker. “Finally, in a small town about 15 miles from us, they found a young mother who was a match,” says Rick. “She is an awesome and inspiring young woman.”
Chase has since had a successful liver transplant and is doing just fine. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for this kind woman, and all the people who donated blood for my transplant surgery,” says Chase.
How to Donate
For more information about donating blood in Rochester, Minnesota, call (507) 284-4475 or email donateblood@mayo.edu. Or visit our webpage http://www.mayoclinic.org/donateblood.
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