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Transplant Chronicles Volume 7, Number 3 A publication for transplant recipients of all organs and their families, Winter 2000 published by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. An Incredible Young Woman A bby VanNortwick’s early The on-base clinic did not children’s hospital in Denver. childhood was fairly typical. She have the facilities or equipment Within a few days of arriving in was an active child, who to treat Abby, so she was Denver, Abby received a heart enjoyed activities such as jump airlifted to Triple Army Medical transplant. The operation was rope and bike riding. Then in Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, successful, and only two 1994 Abby’s dad, an where she stayed for nearly two months later, Abby was on the administration chief in the weeks. slopes learning to ski. She even Marines, was stationed in named her new heart “the Iwakuni, Japan, that Abby’s Bomber,” after the life abruptly changed. downhill skiing technique Suddenly eight-year-old she used to careen down Abby began having severe the Rocky Mountains. chest pains. Her parents initially thought she had a Though she enjoyed stomach virus, but soon skiing, swimming became found she was suffering Abby’s passion. In 1997, from dehydration so that passion led Abby to debilitating that she was Sydney, Australia, for the unable to walk or even World Transplant Games. dress herself. Her parents She competed in the 25- Abby VanNortwick, heart recipient and yard backstroke, 50-yard took her to the health clinic champion swimmer. on base. There, Abby freestyle, 50-yard breast- suffered something doctors stroke and 50-yard back- likened to a heart attack. Tests Unfortunately, Abby’s stroke and won the first-place showed that Abby had viral condition worsened, and gold medal in all four events. At myocarditis, an inflammation of doctors said her only hope for the 1998 U.S. Transplant the heart’s muscular walls. The survival was a new heart. Lack Games in Columbus, Ohio, virus kept the once active of proper facilities and Abby won four more gold young girl confined to a bed, equipment sent Abby to yet medals, one for each event in unable to play or go to school. another medical center, a Continued on page 3 transAction! Transplant Chronicles is a COUNCIL Program of the National Kidney Foundation, Inc., supported by Pharmaceuticals Corporation National Kidney Foundation ✍ editor’s desk Transplant Chronicles Welcome to the last issue of Transplant Chronicles is published by Transplant Chronicles for the 20th the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Century. Right about now everyone Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. is gearing up for the holidays and Editor-in-Chief: the new millennium. This time of Beverly Kirkpatrick, LSW year is always very stressful. You Philadelphia, Pennsylvania find yourself overeating, stressed Editors: Ira D. Davis, MD Vanessa Underwood, BS, about finances and forgetting to take Cleveland, Ohio AFAA, ACE Plaistow, New Hampshire Beverly Kirkpatrick care of #1...yourself. We hope you’ll Maurie Ferriter, BS find the articles in this issue on Lakeland, Michigan Jim Warren, MS Janet Karlix, PhD San Francisco, California health, diet and transplant medications to be helpful. Gainesville, Florida Becky Weseman, RD, CNSD, When we are busy, we tend to forget about the Teresa Shafer, RN, LMNT thousands still waiting for an organ transplant. Don’t MSN, CPTC Omaha, Nebraska Ft. Worth, Texas Laurel Williams Todd, RN, MSN forget to keep on your ambassador hat and, during Nancy Spinozzi, RD Omaha, Nebraska the season of giving, let those around you know that Boston, Massachusetts R. Patrick Wood, MD they too can give in the way of organ donation, by Charlie Thomas, CISW, ACSW Houston, Texas Phoenix, Arizona signing an donor card and discussing this decision Editorial Office: with their families National Kidney Foundation, Inc. 30 E. 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016 (800) 622-9010/(212) 889-2210 Have a joyous holiday season and we’ll see you http://www.kidney.org Executive Editor: Editorial Director: T in the next millennium. C Diane Goetz Gigi Politoski Managing Editor: Production Manager: Sara Kosowsky Austin Duffy Beverly Kirkpatrick Design Director: Oumaya Abi-Saab for the Editorial Board Photo credit pages 1 and 2: Jay LaPrete ✏ Sign Me Up... FOR A FREE MEMBERSHIP IN THE TRANSACTION COUNCIL to receive all of the benefits of membership: a membership card and pin; issues of TransAction Council Connection membership update and Transplant Chronicles newsletter; information on transplant athletic programs, a voice in legislative and public policy issues; participation in NKF educational programs and activities. Just fill out the form and mail it to the transAction Council, National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, NY, NY 10016. Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: ____________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________________ E-Mail: ______________________________________ I I am not interested in joining transAction Council but would like to continue receiving Transplant Chronicles at no charge. ✃ 2 Transplant Chronicles, Vol. 7, No. 3 the award to Abby, whom he called “an incredible An Incredible Young Woman young woman.” Impressed by her work and continued from page 1 commitment to promoting organ donation, Dr. which she competed: The 100-yard freestyle, 50- Pereira offered to host Abby on a trip to Boston yard backstroke, 50-yard breaststroke and 100- to speak to public school students. “Many yard breaststroke. children grow up with a feeling of entitlement,” says Dr. Pereira. “I thought they should listen to Though she is proud of her outstanding someone who was giving back to the performance at both the 1997 World Games and community.” the 1998 U.S. Games and those eight hard- earned medals, Abby says competing was not Today, five years after her transplant, Abby is what excited her most. “I was more excited about still going strong. She swims with the Bangor meeting people who shared my experience,” she Trident Swim Team, and this past summer says. “It was nice to talk to people who conducted her own two-and-a-half-hour private understood what I went through.” practices while the team was on break. She is currently training for the 2000 U.S. Transplant As important as it was for Abby to be able to Games. She even practices with the masters, relate to and share with others who understood who, she says, have an even harder, more her experiences, it was even more intense workout than the youth team. Abby also important for her to talk about plays the violin in her school organ donation with people who orchestra, and for the past hadn’t considered it. To help three years she has entered her spread the word about the cause labrador retriever, Roxie, in a that saved her life, Abby has fitting, showing and obedience written numerous articles competition. published in Guideposts for Kids, Navy Times, Navy News, Rocky With all her accomplish- Mountain News and Trident Times. ments, medals and awards, She’s also shared her story with Abby says the most amazing the teen monthly Girls’ Life, Sports thing that has happened since Illustrated for Kids, The Boston Herald and the the transplant was simply Fox affiliate station in Seattle, Washington. Abby getting her normal life back. She says she’s admits she does enjoy the media attention happiest when reading and spending time with somewhat, however she says it’s not what drives her family. College is still a ways off for this her to do media interviews. “I don’t do it for eighth grader, but Abby already has her sights myself,” she says. “I do it because media set on a career in marine biology. “The Make A attention can change people’s minds about organ Wish Foundation granted my wish to go to donation. The more I talk about it, the more Hawaii and swim with the dolphins, which was a people become aware that they can save lives.” lot of fun,” says Abby. During that trip, another of Abby’s wishes was granted. She got to surprise Abby also gives talks to groups in her the doctors at Triple Army Medical Center in community, including her 4H Club and swim Honolulu and thank them for all they did for her team. At the 1998 U.S. Transplant Games, the and her family. Abby is very grateful for her life American Society of Transplant Physicians and her new start. As she puts it, presented Abby with a special award given to “Transplantation gives you a second chance at transplant athletes who have furthered the cause life. It improves your outlook and changes your of organ donation in their return to health and views.” This 13-year-old has some wise advise for productivity. Dr. Brian Pereira, vice chair of the fellow transplant recipients: “After your division of nephrology, New England Medical transplant, get involved in activities,” she says. Center in Boston, and member of the National “You don’t have to sit around because you’ve had Kidney Foundation board of directors, presented a transplant. Make the most of your second T chance.” C Transplant Chronicles, Vol. 7, No. 3 3 When You Can’t Afford $ Your Medication $ by Charlie Thomas, ACSW, CISW I t’s a frightening scenario: you have just become more common in learned that your insurance won’t cover your many communities. medications any longer. It has been over three Medications that were years since you received your transplant and originally prescribed to Medicare will no longer help with medications someone else are either or perhaps you have insurance, but have donated to a support reached your annual prescription limit.

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