PIKEVILLE, Ky. _ Jody Thompson had known since 2007 his kidneys would inevitably fail. For reasons unique to his family, the former Kentucky Wildcats basketball player dreaded the prospect of needing a kidney transplant.
So when Dr. Ravinder Bhagrath told Thompson in September 2016, that the time for a kidney transplant was near, the sharpshooter made the kind of decision that can risk your life.
The Pikeville, Ky., banker, a married father of three daughters, chose to ignore his doctor's words.
"I decided 'I don't want to deal with this. I feel fine, I'm OK, there's nothing wrong with me,' " Thompson said.
He went months without visiting his doctor.
Polycystic kidney disease, a hereditary condition, has run in Thompson's family for generations.
Thompson's dad had PKD. His uncle, Tommy Thompson, required a transplant. "My dad's dad had it. My children have a 50 percent chance of having the same issue," Jody Thompson said.
PKD occurs when clusters of cysts develop primarily within the kidneys, causing them to enlarge and lose function.
Thompson, 45, was apprehensive about needing a kidney transplant because the hereditary nature of his disease meant blood relatives were pretty much out as potential donors.
He feared he would spend years on dialysis and waiting on an organ donation list.
Instead, Thompson received the gift of a life-altering act of Christian charity and empathy.
Another former 15th Region basketball star, someone Thompson had regarded as no more than an acquaintance, gave up a kidney for him.
