8 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 25, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
From the frontlines to the operating table
Jamaica Estates doctor awaits kidney transplant, encourages people to donate to save lives
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Dr. Philippe Douyon, a Jamaica Estates
resident and neurologist, was ready to die
at the age of 28 when he was diagnosed
with a kidney disorder. But aft er receiving
his fi rst kidney transplant from his
father eight days aft er completing medical
school, Douyon said he was super grateful
for his father’s sacrifi ce.
“I had all types of feelings. I was in
my 20s in college and medical school
and you’re supposed to feel like you’re
invincible,” Douyon said. “I went through
moments where I was angry — I didn’t
want anyone to donate a kidney to me.
Th e idea of having someone’s organs to
survive did not fi t well with me, but my
dad pushed to be my donor, so I went
along with it.”
Initially, Douyon was misdiagnosed
with prostatitis, which is swelling and
infl ammation of the prostate gland, a walnut
sized gland situated directly below
the bladder in men. Later, he was told
that the cause of his kidney disease was a
streptococcal infection and therefore had
post-streptococcal glomerular-nephritis,
a rare kidney disease that can develop
aft er group A strep infections.
A few years later, Douyon was diagnosed
with membranoproliferative glomerular
nephritis (MPGN), a kidney disorder
that involves infl ammation and
changes to kidney cells that may lead to
kidney failure.
Now, at the age of 42, Douyon needs
another kidney transplant. Although he
already has a donor, that process has been
delayed aft er surgeries were canceled during
the pandemic, and when he contracted
COVID-19 earlier this year despite
being in quarantine, he said.
“I was hospitalized for two weeks and that
worsened my kidney function,” Douyon
said. “If you’re diagnosed with COVID you
have to wait three months until you can get
a transplant and I was very sick with the
virus. I’m grateful I survived.”
According to Douyon, the virus took a
toll on his body. He lost 25 pounds and had
symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and
vomiting — all of which he thought were
side eff ects from medications he was taking
for his condition. While in the hospital,
he also started developing respiratory
symptoms, he said.
Th e delay for Douyon’s kidney transplant
continues to cause further damage to
his kidneys where he is now forced to go
to dialysis three days a week at NewYork-
Presbyterian Columbia University Irving
Medical Center in Manhattan, while he
waits to get cleared for the procedure
which may not happen for a few
more months.
Although Douyon was
opposed to dialysis, which he
says takes time away from his
two kids, he is making the best
of his situation. He has spent
time working, reading and learning
new skills.
“I have a catheter in my chest
so that limits my physical activity
and in a non-pandemic world it
would limit my ability to travel,” said
Douyon, while he was at the hospital
for his dialysis treatment. “Th ere are
limits, but you can also make the best of
it. Th e reality is, for all of us, our bodies can
handle a lot but it’s really our minds that
we need to control. So, whatever situations
we fi nd ourselves in, we
just have to fi gure out a way to
make it work.”
During quarantine,
Douyon created an online
course called Take Charge
of Your Brain in 30 Days,
with the goal of helping
people become mentally
and physically healthier —
including himself while he
awaits for a kidney transplant.
Th e course has over 70
pre-recorded video lessons
that are broken up
into four modules, according
to Douyon. So far, he
has received positive feedback
from people who
have benefi ted from the
program.
“People are saying
it’s so much more than being a person,
and fi nally learning about the things you
can do every day that can impact your
overall health,” Douyon
said. “People really
enjoy focusing on
developing a purpose
for their life.
I had someone
with a neurological
disorder
who thought she
would never get
pregnant, and
now she is pregnant
and healthy.”
Th rough his work with LiveOnNY, a
nonprofi t organization committed to helping
New York live on through organ and
tissue donation, Douyon is encouraging
people to become registered organ donors.
Ali McSherry, a spokesperson for
LiveOnNY, said their team raises awareness
on the beauty and power of organ
donation.
“One organ donor can save up to eight
lives and enhance many more through
tissue donation,” McSherry said. “Th ere
are currently 10,000 people in New York
waiting for a lifesaving transplant, and
quick frankly, we do not have enough
donors.”
According to McSherry, LiveOnNY
works with hospitals, community offi cials,
transplant centers and the media to spread
the word that organ donation is important
and saves lives, while also encouraging
people to sign up as organ donors.
“We primarily go with a deceased
donation, which is people who
have died and become donors,
but we also have a wonderful
volunteer base that includes
people like Philippe who
have received an organ
through living donors,”
McSherry said. “Living
donors can donate a kidney
and a portion of their
liver to help others live
on.” For Douyon, an organ
donation has given him
a chance to live his life,
but to also fi nd out
what is his own mission
and vision.
“If it weren’t for
an organ donation,
I would not
have been able
to infl uence the
health and wellness
of thousands
and thousands
of patients over
the last 14 years,”
Douyon said. “Th e
people who donate
their organs, I don’t
think they realize how
remarkable they are. It
is so incredibly selfl ess
— they’re giving someone
the opportunity to
live their life. Th ey’re
unsung heroes.”
Photo courtesy of Douyon
Dr. Philippe Douyon has
used quarantine to create
an online course called
“Take Charge of Your
Brain in 30 Days” with
the goal of helping
people become mentally
and physically
healthier, including
himself while he
waits for a lifesaving
kidney.
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