Photo Courtesy: Kaitlin Parks
Tesla Bethel
Lantern Staff
Travis Kochenower, a Butler graduate, is one of the nicest and happiest people to be around, considering his circumstances. Kochenower spends what little free time he has going golfing, to rodeos or horseback riding. Growing up and living on a farm made getting a degree in agriculture at Butler a simple decision. He has three step siblings who are triplets, and his step-father works for the Department of Agriculture.
Kochenower has worked at Butler for four years. At just a glance, you never would have guessed that he was diagnosed with a kidney disease when he was one-month-old.
In 2005, his mother donated one of her kidneys, which did help, but in February of 2015 his body started to reject the kidney his mother had donated. Now with no living relatives, he is on the waiting list for another kidney transplant. The one his mother donated still works up to seven percent, and dialysis helps the kidneys necessary processes.
Luckily, dialysis does not affect his day to day living. He does a peritoneal dialysis at home. He has to be hooked up to the machine for eight hours, but he does it at the end of the night and sleeps during the process.
“Peritoneal Dialysis is your peritoneal cavity in your stomach,” Kochenower said. “Basically, imagine a two liter bottle of pop, that’s what I fill up four times a night.”
What many people don’t understand is that you can live with only one kidney. The adjustment period can be a little rough as your body has to get used to using only one kidney instead of two, but Kochenower’s mother lives a perfectly normal life.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, an average of 13 people die every day waiting on a kidney transplant.
In order to donate, you would have to talk to your doctor about being tested. They will take a few blood samples, and then let you know if you are or are not a match to a specific person, or anyone in need.
In addition to working full time at Butler, Kochenower is also a counselor at a camp held at Children’s Mercy Hospital called Camp Chimer.
“It’s for people needing a kidney transplant, dialysis patients.” Kochenower said. “For a whole week, from ages 10-18 so that little kids can see that hey, you can live a normal life.”
Kochenower is a ray of sunshine and optimism, not only for himself, but for the children and thousands of other people who are going through the same thing. We all could stand to learn a thing or two in that department.