Jackson clinic celebrates patient’s new kidney
JACKSON, Tenn. – A local clinic celebrated one of their patients on Wednesday after a disease that constricts blood flow and destroys organs put him on the market for a new kidney and knocking on death’s door.
The Arthritis Clinic in west Jackson celebrated patient James Tyler Clark.
Two years ago, Clark was diagnosed with EGPA, a rare form of vasculitis that causes small blood vessels to become inflamed.
“Just imagine an organ that is getting a blood supply and that blood supply gets compromised because the arteries that give the blood supply, the oxygen, all that get clogged up, so the organ dies,” said Dr. Jacob Aelion.
That’s exactly what happened to Clark’s kidneys.
“We had to come up with a long-term plan on how we would ultimately control the disease, and ultimately having, since he’s a young recipient, have him receive a kidney,” Aelion said.
With Clark in need of a kidney, his family began volunteering theirs. One of these volunteers was Clark’s sister Kaitlyn Holland, who after four months of testing, was deemed a perfect match.
By the end of 2023, Clark now had a new kidney donated by his younger sister.
“It makes me happy to know that my kidney is helping him. And to see him go from almost dying to where he’s at now, it’s just amazing,” Holland said.
Wednesday, the Arthritis Clinic congratulated the family on the successful kidney donation and the long road they traveled to get here.
“So as far as the clinic is concerned this was a team effort,” Aelion said.
Front and center in the celebration holding a t-shirt that read “New Kidney Owner” was Clark, who had a message for those who may be in the same situation he was.
“Have hope. Pray about it. Whether you believe or not, pray about it because it works,” Clark said.
Clark will continue to take medication to make sure the new kidney is not rejected and that the disease doesn’t affect other organs.
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