Ron London and his wife, Leona, sit in the garden of the Abbey Delray community
where they live. Ron London has had two kidney transplants and is active
with the Kidney Association of South Florida.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Lona O'Connor
When Ron London found out that both his kidneys had failed, his knowledge was scant.
“I knew I had a pair of kidneys, and that’s about it,” said London, 81, a retired businessman from Philadelphia who now lives in Delray Beach with his wife, Leona.
They educated themselves on kidneys, health, nutrition and medical procedures. Now they are using what they learned to help others as volunteers for the Kidney Association of South Florida, an education and support group made up of kidney disease patients and their families.
One day in a doctor’s waiting room, Ron London saw a brochure for the kidney association. “I thought, why not?” said London. “I’ll be better off the more I know.”
The Londons started as volunteers and later became board members of their local chapter.
They have lost count of how many dialysis centers they have visited, talking to nephrologists, social workers and patients — and always leaving brochures.
“I have a list of every nephrologist and dialysis center in South Florida,” Ron said.
Leona London shares cooking and health information with wives and other caregivers. She also watches out for the caregivers’ health and welfare.
“The caregiver needs support too,” she said.
Besides providing information and support to kidney patients and their families, the kidney association helps with the sometimes overwhelming expenses of kidney patients not covered by insurance.
“We found one man who had lost his job, his wife and his house,” said Leona London. “He was living in his car.”
Janice Symonette, past president of the Kidney Association of South Florida, is a big fan of the Londons.
“They’re diligent workers, they’re giving people,” said Symonette, of Palm Beach Gardens, who got her kidney transplant 20 years ago. “Ron has raised so much money in his community.”
The Kidney Association of South Florida, a nonprofit group formed seven years ago, runs monthly support groups and sponsors an annual fundraising walk.
Organ failure a surprise
London is not sure why his kidneys failed. He had no history of high blood pressure or diabetes.
Physically active all his life, including rowing in a one-man scull until recently, London made his living in the wholesale meat business, which included lifting 100-pound cases.
He dates his problem to a serious auto accident 25 years ago, from which he developed a herniated disk in his back. He was given anti-inflammatory drugs for the pain.
“I don’t know how you’re still standing,” London’s doctor said after examining him.
A blood test showed a high level of protein, and shortly thereafter he got the news that both kidneys had failed. He went on dialysis, the long and uncomfortable process of mechanically cleaning the blood. Healthy kidneys process waste from the body; without them, the blood must be flushed to keep the patient alive.
London began dialysis and joined a waiting list for a kidney transplant. One working kidney is all a person needs.
“Every day waiting was like a month,” he recalled. That was 10 years ago. Soon after, he got his first transplanted kidney, which lasted 2½ years, then failed. His second transplant has been working now for five years and counting. He was getting dialysis for long stretches before and between the two transplants.
London visits a nephrologist who checks his blood every four months. He will take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life and must be careful to avoid infections. He remains active and healthy.
He only recently gave up his beloved 16-foot single rowing shell because he no longer has easy access to water. So he has switched to walking as a daily activity.
Because of medical confidentiality, the Londons know only that Ron’s kidney donor was a 51-year-old man who was shot to death. So London had no one he could formally thank, but he often thinks about his donor. “That kidney is keeping the memory of someone alive,” he said.
Lona O’Connor has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to Lona13@bellsouth.net.
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