General Questions
How old are you?
17
Where are you from?
Charleston, South Carolina
Transplant
What was your transplant?
kidney, received May 15, 2005 (age 2)
What was your condition that led to the transplant?
Congenital Nephrotic Syndrome
What was life like before transplant?
Don’t really remember, but I was gaining weight and my parents thought it was healthy, but it turned out it was water weight. So I was pretty normal.
How long did you wait for your transplant?
about a few months
How was the road to recovery?
We stayed in California for a summer and we spent 2 months checking up to make sure I was okay.
What can you do now after transplant?
Well, I couldn’t do anything when I was a child.
I have no limitations to anything. The doctors lifted a ban on contact sports.
What are you most excited about after being healthy?
Being here in general. I don’t know because I haven’t had a hospital visit since 3rd grade.
Donor
Do you know your donor?
Yes, it was his father.
Was it a male or a female? How old were they?
He is healthy and middle age.
How did he know he was eligible to be a donor?
They do a bunch of testing – they go from the oldest to youngest – and he was the second one tested.
Were there any complications?
No.
Why did he donate?
I think it’s because it’s his son and families are supposed to match.
What would you say to people considering to be an organ donor?
I think they should do research before deciding not to be an organ donor.
How do you celebrate your transplant date?
I don’t. It’s just a regular day.
Turner is a non-steroid patient. In 2004-2006 Stanford was doing a study on steroids to see if transplant recipients could not take steroids. He takes reliable immunosuppressants.
Why are you an active advocate for organ donation?
Turner has been to Washington, D.C. two times for transplant activism. The first time he raised money for hospitals. The second time was a communication between doctors, patients, and donors.
Because I’m very close with the hospital I’m at. If they ask me to do anything I’ll do it.
I’m doing a meetup of other transplant recipients in our cities.
What does your future look like?
I hope to stay an advocate for the transplant community but still move forward with my goals in life.
