Donor, kidney recipient find common goal
Duo to walk in fundraiser this month

submitted photo Mary Lirette, left. of Belleville, donated a kidney to her friend, Jim Shoffstall, of Belleville. While some people may never find a match to receive a kidney, Shoffstall said he was lucky to find the match. To help others, Shoffstall, Lirette and several others are participating in the Kidney Walk in St. Louis later this month.

By Ken West
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 3:11 AM CDT

Jim Shoffstall has his kidney set on walking later this month. That's right, his kidney. Actually, his transplanted kidney.

To celebrate his return to health and raise awareness about kidney disease, Shoffstall, 42, and his kidney donor, Mary Lirette, will participate in the 2010 National Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk in St. Louis on June 19. His wife and several other friends, all members of Christ United Methodist Church in Fairview Heights, also will walk.

Before receiving his transplanted kidney, Shoffstall, of Belleville, was weeks from having to undergo dialysis. A transplant would put the ARCH Air Medical paramedic back on the road to health.

"I had just been put on a transplant list," he said last week.

Later, Lirette and another family friend, Brenda O'Connor, volunteered to see if they were possible matches.

"They both tested and both were positive matches," he said. "Both were perfect. We had two matches right away." A month later, Shoffstall had a new kidney, courtesy of Lirette, who was a better match.

Shoffstall points out that finding a match is not the norm and some people can go years waiting for a donor. Some die before finding a match.

The Kidney Foundation is working to raise awareness.

"Finding a match is difficult and the pool of donors is small," said Angela Shultis, a walk spokeswoman. "The National Kidney Foundation is working to increase those numbers. It's easy to get tested to see if you are a match and get your name on the donor registry."

Although he dealt with a type of kidney disease from the age of 17 until two years ago, Shoffstall was not aware of the National Kidney Foundation.

"Primarily it was my wife," he said. "This process took more of an emotional toll on her than me."

After a successful operation for her husband, Cheryl Shoffstall, was searching the Internet for information about transplants and kidney disease. She found the National Kidney site and an announcement about the 2009 kidney walk.

"She said we have to do that," he said. "I did it for my wife. She was relieved and wants to make other people aware."

She also discovered a website for the United Network of Organized Sharing, unos.org. The website lists how many people are awaiting transplants and serves as a donor registration site. She wants other families to have the same outcome as her husband.

"He was really swollen from fluid buildup in his body and he was short of breath," she said. "We have before and after pictures. The difference is night and day."

If you go

2010 National Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk

What: Fundraiser for the fight against kidney disease

Where: Laclede Park, Olive Street and Compton Avenue, St. Louis

When: 10 a.m., June 19

How to register: kidneywalk.org or 314-961-2828