Co-worker Donates Kidney and Saves Revolution Trucking CEO's Life

WADSWORTH, Ohio, April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

Nothing is more important than your health. When you are seriously ill, nothing else matters. I know this firsthand. I was born with 1 kidney (about 1 in 10,000 people have this affliction). Normally, people can live a normal life. However, in my case, my high blood pressure wore the kidney out and I developed End Stage Renal Failure when I was 45 years old. I was in and out of the ICU and receiving hemodialysis 5 times per week.

Unfortunately, with kidney failure you develop all kinds of other problems like anemia, lethargy, bone brittleness, itching, and chills. The last 5 years I was constantly sleeping from exhaustion. At one point I had hypoxia and double pneumonia. A very scary combination. I was on my death bed. I was no longer making red blood cells, which resulted in needing a blood transfusion every 3 months. My quality of life was terrible. My life became meaningless. That's a hard pill to swallow as the CEO of a fast-growing logistics company.

During my sickness I was on the transplant list with Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals in Northeast Ohio. I was patiently waiting for a cadaver that matched my blood type, but I knew the waiting list was 3-5 years. Late last year, Steve Fracasso, a friend and co-worker, unbeknownst to me, got tested and was a match! He told me on Christmas, the best gift I've ever received.

Steve has been a friend for nearly 10 years. Not only is he one of our most dedicated and hardworking team members, but he is magnanimous and courageous. What he did is beyond words. He saved my life.

We scheduled the surgery for St. Patrick's Day, taking advantage of the Luck of the Irish. The surgery went off without a hitch at University Hospitals in Cleveland. The quality of care we received was outstanding. The team was not just experts in the field, but highly coordinated. We had everyone from the surgeons to the nephrologists to the nurses and technicians visiting us every hour. The hardest part for me was not eating for 48 hours while I was on Prednisone, a steroid that makes you ravenous.

The amazing part is Steve broke the hospital record on being released. He was home in just over 24 hours after surgery. Probably because he's an athlete and in his 30's. I was released from the Hospital on Monday night and at work Tuesday morning. The medical team could not have performed any better. We were both ecstatic with the results.

Even Steve's parents were onboard and supportive. His father is a doctor and explained all the risks to Steve, so he went in with complete knowledge. Even better, Steve's mother is an excellent cook and made me 10 home cooked meals. I ate like a king for a week.

After 3 weeks we both feel great. It's the best I've felt in more than 20 years. I'm on a lot of anti-rejection drugs, but that is a small price to pay, and nothing compares to dialysis. I do blood work every Monday and Thursday and my numbers continue to improve. I'm a new man with a second chance at life. I'm now ready to conquer the world. Where once my dreams were dead, I now value every day, hour, and minute of my life.

Thank you, Steve! From James.

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SOURCE Revolution Trucking