By Brandon Henry
AFRO Intern
The human body has five vital organs: the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. If any of these organs were to stop functioning for even a short period of time, it can quickly become a life threatening issue.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, it was found that about 37 million adults in the United States may have chronic kidney disease (CKD) but close to 90 percent of them are unaware.
The National Kidney Foundation also states 33 percent of American adults are at risk for kidney disease, and that Black or African American people are more than three times as likely to have kidney failure compared to White Americans.
The National Kidney Foundation Serving Maryland and Delaware (NKFMDDE) will bring awareness to the issue at its 23rd annual Maryland Kidney Walk on Sunday, Oct. 19, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250), They are expected to have over a thousand people participating, including Larry Jones.
In January of 2020, then 58-year-old Larry Jones went to the doctor thinking he simply had the flu, but would be diagnosed with stage-3 chronic kidney disease. In March of 2022, he was diagnosed with end stage renal disease, and was told he would need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.
After hearing the news, Jones told his two children the results of his diagnosis. His daughter, a pediatrician, walked him through which types of dialysis and hemodialysis he should choose.
After registering to be on the deceased donor list in hopes of a new kidney, Jones underwent tests to see who could be a potential match for him.
In October of 2022, Jones called social workers from John Hopkins so the workers could prepare him and his family for what they could expect if someone qualifies to donate a kidney. At the end of the call, Jones’ son asked, “Can I be tested to see if I’m a match for my father?”
The son’s blood type is O-positive, Jones himself is A-positive, meaning his son could donate to him, but not the other way around. Jones considered this to be a “quiet miracle.”
His surgery would be scheduled for May 4, 2023, and would ultimately be a success.
“I gave my son life, and 31 years later he gave me my life back,” said Jones.
After the surgery, Jones looked for ways to give back and was referred to the National Kidney Foundation and other organizations. In September of the same year, Jones participated in his first Maryland Kidney Walk.
In the same month, Jones started writing a book about his experience with kidney disease from a patient’s perspective titled “Are You Kidney(ing) Me”, which was published in February of this year.
Jones, now 62, still volunteers for the National Kidney Foundation, as well as other organizations that help with kidney and organ donations as a whole.
Another familiar face at this year’s Maryland Kidney Walk will be Thomas LaVon Thomas Jr., widely known as “DJ Young Fresh Prince.”
This will be the fourth consecutive year Thomas will be the DJ for the Maryland Kidney Walk.
But, although he’s the DJ, Thomas has his own experience with kidney disease. Thomas was born with prune belly disease, which caused his kidneys to not work. His mother gave him one of her kidneys when he was 11 months old.
Although Thomas had to frequently visit the doctor’s office and take his medicine, he didn’t let that stop him from pursuing his passion within music. At 10 years old, his family gave him a Numark Mixtrack Pro 3 and “the rest was history.”
Now at 19, Thomas still has frequent doctor visits and medicine intake, but uses music as an outlet to escape these concerns.
Thomas says one of his most memorable moments at the Kidney Walks are playing good music and meeting people that have gone through similar experiences with their health.
To register for the 2025 Maryland Kidney Walk, you can visit the official event page at www.kidneywalk.org/maryland. Participants will meet at Erickson Field on the campus of University of Maryland, Baltimore County (1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250) at 9 a.m.
Wonderfully written ! So informative and what a beautiful story !❤️