Jeff Stimson, band director at Howell’s Parker Middle School, needs a life-saving kidney transplant.
A “Kidney Disease and Organ Donation Information Night” is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, at Parker Middle School, 400 Wright Road, just off D-19 in Howell.
Stimson, 43, suffers from polycystic kidney disease, which causes cysts to develop that make the kidneys much larger than they should be.
Stimson and Bernadette, his wife of nearly 18 years, live in Howell. They have two children — Jeffrey, 10, and Kara, 7 — who attend Southwest Elementary School. Stimson also coaches his children through the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority, and at the Legacy Center in Brighton.
Since his diagnosis in 2006, Stimson’s kidney value has been dropping; he’s now functioning at about 15 percent. He’s been on the kidney transplant list for 1-1/2 years, and it takes between five and seven years to get a kidney.
To stave off dialysis, Stimson hopes to find a living donor, which will cut his wait time for a transplant down to weeks or months.
“I am close to going on dialysis,” Stimson said. “This would be a very difficult thing to do with my teaching duties and with the coaching that I do.”
The evening will include testimony from a living kidney donor, a living kidney recipient, and a presentation on how organ donation works. On hand will be representatives from Gift of Life Michigan and the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan.
“It will give people much-needed information,” Stimson said.
The event is free, and refreshments will be provided.
If you have any questions, call Parker Middle School at (517) 552-4600.
