As a kidney donor recipient, Dustin Burnham has been the benefactor from what he calls the ultimate selfless act含羞草研究社攐rgan donation.

He received that kidney donated by his grandmother in 2000 at age 18, but today the 35-year-old Kelowna resident is back on the organ donor list.

An auto immune disease attacked his transplant kidney, leaving him in need of another replacement as he lives today receiving home hemodialysis treatments to stay alive until another transplant surgery can be done.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 on the kidney donor recipient list so if I get the call, I would drive or fly down to St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 Hospital in Vancouver and the donor would probably be traveling there from out of town as well,含羞草研究社� said Burnham.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 not sure what the future holds but I know if someone reads about my story and be inspired to be a donor and change someone else含羞草研究社檚 life is a magnificent thing to do.含羞草研究社�

Burnham含羞草研究社檚 health situation bring added personal significance for acknowledging March 9 as World Kidney Day, a global awareness initiative aimed at educating people about the realities of kidney disease and the importance of organ donation.

For people on dialysis treatment, which performs the toxin cleansing and urinary tract discharge functions normally done by a healthy kidney, it means receiving four-hour treatment three days a week at the hospital or dialysis treatment clinic in Rutland.

Burnham has been able to sustain himself with hemodialysis with the equipment set up at his home, giving himself a four-hour treatment every second day.

含羞草研究社淭he diet restrictions are far greater on what you eat and drink if you go to the hospital for treatment, so that is one advantage. The other is just having the treatment done in the comfort of your own home,含羞草研究社� he said.

It requires him to be responsible for upkeep of the dialysis machine, know how to run it and take care of the fluid filtration system, how to put a needle in his arm and replace supplies as needed.

含羞草研究社淚 go to the hospital once a month for blood work to make sure everything is working okay but it is a huge blessing to be able to do it at home,含羞草研究社� Burnham said.

含羞草研究社淏ut you do have to do some modifications as you need a direct water supply to the dialysis machine. I含羞草研究社檓 fortunate that I have my own home but it含羞草研究社檚 hard of you are a renter to start drilling holes and taking down walls to make the water connection work.含羞草研究社�

In terms of limitations in his daily life, Burnham said he can含羞草研究社檛 travel abroad, and he is exhausted leading into and after completing a round of dialysis treatment.

He is on disability but does help out with driving deliveries for his father含羞草研究社檚 printing business when he含羞草研究社檚 up to it. 含羞草研究社淔or me, working two or three hours feels like eight hours,含羞草研究社� he said.

Burnham says he draws on the strength to carry on from the support of his friends and family, his faith as a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints and providing a sympathetic ear and voice for those facing the same health ordeal he does.

含羞草研究社淚 learned a few tricks along the way about dealing with food, fluid intake and other things related to kidney disease, so I understand where they are coming from and if I can, I try to help others prepare for it.

含羞草研究社淚t can all be very overwhelming at first.含羞草研究社�

According to statistics provided by the transplant and organ donation agency BC Transplant, 2016 saw 423 people receive life-saving transplants in our province, the largest number being for kidney transplants at 216, followed by liver (74), lung (40), heart (28) and pancreas related (12).

含羞草研究社楤eing an organ donor is probably one of the most charitable things a person can do,含羞草研究社� said Burnham. 含羞草研究社淲e are all on this earth for a short period of time, so for someone to give someone else a better quality of life what a blessing, what a selfless act that is.

含羞草研究社淚 just admire people like that..for we are all in this together.含羞草研究社�

For more information about the organ transplant donation program in B.C., check out the website transplant.bc.ca or follow on Twitter @BC_Transplant.