Be a live kidney donor, encourages Islander on wait list for 2 years

An Islander who's been waiting two years for a kidney transplant is encouraging people to consider being a live donor.

Tom Eldershaw, who's from Souris, P.E.I., has been on dialysis for five years. He spendsfour hoursthree times a week getting dialysis.

He's gone over to Halifax twice for a new kidney, only to find out they weren't viable or a good match for him.

"Every day the phone rings, Ithink this is it," he said of waiting for a transplant.

He's one ofover 130 Islanders on dialysis right now, requiring hospital visits several times a week. Fourteen of thoseare on a wait list for a kidney transplant, a wait that can last years.

Eldershaw believes many people have misconceptions about live donation.

"I think everybody seems to feel that you need to be related to be alive donor, but that's not the way it is anymore," he said.

"Because of advances in medical care and medical testing that can match a wider range of people ... there's a lot more likelihood that you'll find a match through a live donation."

People can live a healthy life with one kidney. Eldershaw is encouraging people to consider "sharing their spare."

He's hoping a kidney can be found for him soon.

"I would get my life back."

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