Alonzo Mourning went on to have a great career--mainly with the Miami Heat. He now works in the front office of the organization, and he and his wife are big philanthropic figures in the South Florida area.
Alonzo is also a kidney transplant legend. You can read his full story here, but, in summary he had a rare, life-threatening kidney disease. He was in and out of retirement, on a lot of meds, had a lot of side effects, and finally received a new kidney from a cousin.
While filming our 2014 Building Champions video at the Heat's arena, my coworkers set up a surprise meeting between Alonzo and me (I'm not sure if I was more touched that Alonzo took time to meet with me, or the effort that my friends went to to arrange it). Embarrassingly, it took me a while to figure out that he was there to talk to me--not watch our filming of the video.
Alonzo is the first person I've met with kidney disease. In my earlier post, I wrote a lot about the fear associated with being diagnosed with a disease. But it is also very lonely if you don't have any frame of reference or know anyone else who has had a similar experience. Admittedly, it is hard to be positive if you have no network of people with kidney disease to relate to.
Alonzo had a successful kidney transplant in 2003, and says enthusiastically that since, he's been in the best shape of his life. See, not only do Alonzo and I have kidney disease in common, but neither of us enjoy being on medication. Alonzo has since dedicated himself to a strict, low-sodium diet, an eastern medicine approach to his health and yoga. He is also incredibly positive--he's positive in his approach to his health and in his interactions with others.
Yesterday was a turning point for me. If Alonzo can do it, so can I. #BeatPKD
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