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Daniel Thomas Hodges is looking for a living donor to provide a life-saving kidney.
Daniel Thomas Hodges is looking for a living donor to provide a life-saving kidney.
Daniel Thomas Hodges is looking for a living donor to provide a life-saving kidney.
Daniel Thomas Hodges is looking for a living donor to provide a life-saving kidney.
According to Donate Life America, every 10 minutes, a person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list. About 90,000 of those waiting for a transplant are in need of a kidney, including Campbellsville native Daniel Thomas Hodges.
Described as humble, strong and independent, Hodges parents have sprung into action on behalf of their son.
“He is so independent,” said Sharon, Hodges’ mother. “He won’t ask for anything so we are asking for him.”
After falling ill with suspected COVID, Hodges found himself in the hospital fighting for his life.
“He thought he had something viral but ended up admitted at Parkland Frankfort Memorial Hospital,” Hodges’ father, Danny, explained. “They tested him for COVID since he had all of the symptoms, but it consistently came back negative. Whatever it was attacked his heart, lungs and kidneys.”
After spending nine days in the hospital, Hodges was released despite an inability to bring his kidney levels down to normal.
“He just kept on saying that it was viral and that he had everything under control,” Danny said. “His levels had been in the sevens and they got them down into the fours. They said they needed to get his levels down to a strong one and needed to do a heart cath but they couldn’t because the dye used during one would have been too hard on his kidneys.”
After being discharged, Hodges carried on as usual at work as a police officer for the Frankfort Police Department.
After a few months, Hodges became ill once again.
“In June, we got a call that Thomas had gotten sick again and had gone to urgent care but was still just not getting better,” Danny said. “He went to the emergency room and was given fluids, but when Sharon called him the next day, he still wasn’t better.”
Without a second thought, Hodges’ parents drove from Campbellsville to Frankfort that afternoon.
“Thankfully we went, because if we hadn’t, he would have sit right there and died,” Danny said. “When we got to the ER, his kidneys were in total failure. His lungs were full, he had pneumonia, his heart was at 30%.”
Fighting for his life, Hodges battled for nine days in the ICU and an additional four days in the hospital.
After his kidneys failed, Hodges learned his life was permanently altered.
“They had to place a temporary port in his neck to get dialysis started,” Danny said. “Then they did a biopsy on his kidneys and found out that whatever had attacked him scarred his kidneys beyond recovery.”
Because of the extensive damage, Hodges was immediately placed on a transplant list.
Reeling from the snowball of events, the Hodges family is just now able to process the series of unfortunate events.
According to organdonor.gov, 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant.
“We are praying for a living donor,” Sharon said. “Some people wait up to six years for a kidney and the doctors said that they don’t want him on dialysis that long.”
Soon after Hodges’ diagnosis, his parents immediately checked for compatibility.
“Going in to see if you are a match, you have to answer all of these questions about yourself and list your medications and health history,” Sharon said. “Danny was eliminated due to his arthritis medications but I am still checking on everything with myself and am in the process of seeing if I am a match even though Thomas doesn’t want me to undergo the procedure.”
Despite startling statistics, Hodges is determined to live his life as normally as possible.
“He’s been determined to not let it get him down,” Sharon added. “The doctors told him that it’s not a death sentence, but that he has to alter parts of his lifestyle.”
Part of his new life is dedicated to receiving dialysis.
Dedicated to his career, Hodges refuses to give up his work as a police officer.
“Thomas has to go for dialysis three times a week for around four hours at a time,” Danny said. “He does this on top of his work, which has been reduced to working in the office instead of the field.”
“It’s just so hard to see him not be able to do what he loves like he used to,” Sharon said tearfully. “And if he doesn’t get a kidney, this will be his life, but we are blessed to have a wonderful support system to help us through this. His law enforcement brothers; our neighbors and friends have all been right there with all of us and we couldn’t have done it without them. We haven’t done anything alone and we are blessed.”
“The force is truly a brotherhood,” Danny said. “They mean everything they say and they back him and are there for us at all times.”
If you would like to inquire about becoming a living donor for Daniel Thomas Hodges, call the Living Kidney Donor Program in Lexington at 859-323-2467. Be sure to specify that you are calling on behalf of police officer Daniel Thomas Hodges.
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