Hummelstown, PA resident, Bernie Readinger, was a healthy athletic man throughout most of his life. He had always loved sports and played full court basketball several times per week until he reached his 40s. He was also proactive about his health and got regular yearly checkups and blood work done.
This is where Bernie’s journey began. After a simple routine doctor’s appointment, he was told that the results of his blood work showed that he was in kidney failure. Doctors prescribed him medication, but after a year he became so ill that he had to go on dialysis. He was also added to the transplant waiting list for a kidney. Being on the waitlist was a frightening prospect for Bernie. There is no guarantee that he would be able to receive a kidney. Currently, 22 people in the U.S. die each day while waiting for a life-saving transplant. There is a critical shortage of organs for transplant, which at the time made Bernie’s future unknown.
He waited for over a year and half and had dialysis several times per week to stay alive. There was so much uncertainty in Bernie’s life at this point, as he was facing significant illness and the unbearable side effects that accompany dialysis including weakness, exhaustion, muscle loss and leg cramps.
Besides finding strength through the support of his wife and four children, Bernie used the nearly 15 hours a week on dialysis to self-reflect about his priorities in life and to read the Bible. Through his faith in God and reading the scriptures, his connection to his religion got him through one of the most difficult challenges in his life. After a year and a half, Bernie was blessed and received the call that he was waiting for on his birthday, May 19th – there was a match and he would receive a second chance at life – a new kidney.
“I knew that this was an opportunity for me to reevaluate my beliefs.” said Bernie. “I used to pray and ask God what I was supposed to do and felt that my purpose was to change myself for the better and help others around me. I followed this path to becoming a Chaplin today, offering support to others who are going through the same situation that I did.”
After he healed from the surgery, he had the energy of a 20 year old, and was soon back on the basketball court doing what he loved. He was awe-struck to later learn that his donor was a young man who he had counseled when he was a youth leader with his church. His donor had been in and out of foster care for most of his life, and Bernie formed a close relationship with him in youth group.
Tragically, eight years after his initial transplant, Bernie’s kidney failed again and he was in need of a second transplant to survive. This time, he knew about living donation – and his sister Kathy Neumar courageously stepped up. She was a perfect match and donated one of her kidneys to her brother. Bernie is tremendously grateful to both his first donor and his sister for their selflessness, and for giving him the gift of life.
Bernie with his sister and living donor, Kathy.
“Today, I focus on my family and the time that I have with them, even as I work full-time as real estate agent. Going through all of this has made me see how frail life can be and how it can all change in a minute.” Bernie said. “I try to help others who are going through difficult circumstances. Reading the Bible and prayer gave me strength and pulled me through when I was sick. It wasn’t just optimism, my belief gave me the energy to continue.”
Bernie’s faith in both God and organ and tissue donation will come together in November during National Donor Sabbath, which is held November 13-15, 2015. Observed annually, NDS seeks to educate faith-based communities about the need for organ, eye and tissue donors. This national initiative partners with faith leaders, houses of worship and faith-based organizations to educate its congregations about the critical need for donors.
One of the most common misconceptions about registering as an organ donor is that one’s religion does not support it. In fact, all major religions support organ donation. Unfortunately today, there are still many untrue myths that prevent individuals from registering. Sadly, there are nearly 5,300 people in our region and more than 115,000 nationally who are waiting. No final act is more heartfelt or caring than donating ones’ organs. It shows an individual’s compassion for others, and can change lives forever.