When James Ingley’s identical twin brother needed a kidney, there was no hesitation: ‘I think I did what everyone else would have done.’
Four years ago, Dalton Ingley headed to an annual work physical required by his employer, a Pennsylvania garbage removal service company. It was there he discovered he had alarmingly high blood pressure, and after a trip to hospital he was diagnosed with stage three kidney failure.
Now aged 29, living in Greenville, Dalton is ‘feeling great’ – and he has his brother to thank.
Dalton was battling an inflammation of the kidney’s filters called glomerulonephritis, a leading cause of renal failure.
He told TODAY:
They rushed me to the hospital… for stroke-like conditions. They told me: ‘Well it looks like you have a kidney issue.’ I was like: ‘How can I be in kidney failure? I’m not sick.’ At the time it was like a shock. How is this happening to me, a 26-year-old?
Dalton’s kidneys appeared to be working fine until April 2017, at which point he began dialysis at home. Later, in January 2018, he became sick with pneumonia and was switched to hemodialysis, with a machine and artificial kidney cleaning his blood. Forced to quit work, doctors told him he’d require a kidney transplant.
He didn’t even need to particularly broach the topic with James. ‘I don’t think I ever really did ask him to donate. He automatically said yes,’ Dalton said.
However, it wouldn’t be so simple. James, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had to drop 60lb before he could be ‘the perfect match’ and the surgery could take place. ‘My whole life sort of just changed. The fact that I needed to donate a kidney made it so I’ve been able just to change,’ he said.
After completely changing his lifestyle – getting more sleep, eating healthier and integrating simple exercise into daily life – the procedure took place in May 2018, and was a complete success, to the point Dalton didn’t even require anti-rejection medication. He’s yet to return to work, but hopes to soon.
James said there was never any doubt in going through with the surgery. ‘It’s a chance, an opportunity to do something for your fellow man, person, stranger, neighbor, family member, and I think I did what everyone else would have done. There’s nothing more special and rewarding,’ he added.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.