Charlotte Knights’ player back in the game after kidney transplant
Ethan Wilson wondered why he was so lethargic after working out, and last to finish sprints even though he was talented enough to play shortstop for the University of Indiana and get drafted by the Chicago White Sox. But a routine blood test during a physical in spring training in 2011 lead to the discovery that Wilson had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or FSGS, the same kidney disease former Charlotte Hornet Alonzo Mourning had.
Three months on high-dose prednisone caused multiple side effects and didn’t help. Wilson needed a kidney transplant if he had any hopes of playing baseball again. It took three years to find a suitable match and that person turned out to be his mother’s best friend, Lori Whitaker-Lord, who decided to be tested after other family and friends in the town where he grew up, Pendleton, Ind., kept testing negative. Two years since the transplant, Wilson has endured an aborted comeback last spring training due to a virus and a bout with his body rejecting the new kidney.
But Wilson got his medicines back in balance and he’s back in baseball after a four-year absence. He’s a utility infielder for the Charlotte Knights, one step away from the major leagues. Here is Wilson’s comeback story in his own words:
The challenge
“We started looking for a kidney donor. They put me on a diseased donor list. In Indiana that’s a five-year wait. In the meantime, all my family, friends, family friends, everybody was in on it and they wanted to donate. I’m from a small town, a great community, Pendleton, Indiana. I had a list of 30, 40 people who wanted to get tested. That’s what the wait was, the three years, because it takes anywhere from two to four months for one person to find out whether they can donate. There are five or six different tests you have to go through and pass.”
How I did it
“Looking back now, it’s crazy, but I really wasn’t ever concerned.... All I was focused on was my health. I changed my diet. I started working out harder. I started really taking care of myself. Obviously under the doctor’s close supervision, I did everything I could to stay in shape. And I had my mindset on one thing and that was to come back and play baseball…
“The three-year wait was tough on my family. It wasn’t hard on me .... I’m doing everything I can, and my healthcare team, my family and support group, they’re doing what they can, and it’s really all you can do…
“In July of 2013 the hospital called me. I thought it was just to check in and they said, ‘We found a match.’ I said, ‘Oh really? Who?’ She said, ‘Lori Lord.’ ‘What? Sweet!
“When you’re filling out a living will at 24, you process things a little bit differently, so I took a month. I relaxed. I traveled. I went to visit friends in California. I visited friends in Texas. I went to the beach in Florida by myself. I just soaked it all in, that freedom. I came back tanned and in shape and ready for my transplant.
“I was so excited. I dressed nice and showed up at like 5 a.m. to the hospital. I wore stylish pants and a V-neck T-shirt. I had my hair all gelled. It was kind of silly but I just had a good attitude going into it. I enjoyed the whole process of it. After the transplant I learned so much about health and drugs and medicine and what nurses and doctors go through and how much they really do care. After the transplant I was even more humbled...”
The result
“I like to stay positive, but I thought I was going to be in extended spring training for two weeks – that’s all I was going to allow myself – and then find something else to do because I didn’t want to stay there. At 26, I was too old for that. Ten days in they called me and said ‘Hey, we need somebody to go up to Winston (to play for the Dash),’ and I was ecstatic. Since then it’s just been amazing. I’m here (in Charlotte) now so it’s awesome.”
What he learned
“Let people love you. That’s the hardest part. Let people help. I’m a very stubborn person, a little bit selfish to the point where I don’t want people to do anything for me. This was a huge wake-up that hey, you can’t do everything on your own. It’s basically life and death. If you let someone help you, you’re going to live. If you don’t, you’re going to die. And I had to allow somebody to help me and donate their kidney to me and love me. …
“Lori was like my second mom growing up, so we had a great bond anyway. There’s a certain level of being relaxed around her, that I can always joke with her, and I think that bond has only been strengthened. ... No matter if it’s two months or if it’s a day, it feels like no time has passed. You’re like best friends almost.”
Your story?
We’re looking to share stories about health and fitness, about overcoming obstacles and about discoveries you’re making on the road to Living Well. Send your suggestions to mystory@mcclatchy.com.
This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Charlotte Knights’ player back in the game after kidney transplant."