Alonzo Mourning Plays Offense Against Kidney Disease

Returning from kidney failure and transplant, NBA star pushes for early detection

FRIDAY, July 7, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- It happened right after his return home with a basketball gold medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics, just in time for the birth of his daughter, Myka.

"I was on top of the world," said 36-year-old Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning. "At the age of 30, I felt invincible."

But even a seven-time National Basketball Association All-Star was no match for kidney failure brought on, in Mourning's case, by an acute inflammatory illness called focal glomerulosclerosis.

"I'm lucky, because a routine pre-season physical detected that I had a chronic kidney disorder," the 6-foot, 10-inch, 261-pound Mourning said in an interview in New York City on Thursday. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have known till later, and it would've been too late."

Early detection of his condition meant Mourning got a "free-throw" of sorts on the disease, allowing him to get into treatment before he required dialysis. Soon, a cousin stepped up to donate the kidney that saved Mourning's life.

"That was such a blessing," he said. "You're given a second chance to live. And I knew then that if somebody was willing to do that and give me that second chance, I'm going to do everything in my power to try and make it work."

"Making it work" may be an understatement when it comes to Mourning, who was sidelined after the transplant for nearly three years but returned to pro basketball with the New Jersey Nets in 2004, before making a move back to his beloved Heat in 2005.

This season, his eight points, six rebounds and five blocked shots during the NBA series final against Dallas helped the Heat snag the championship -- a first in Mourning's 13-year career.

But Mourning said he's never forgotten how fortunate he is that his condition was spotted early, before his kidneys had been too badly damaged.

Many of the estimated 20 million Americans at risk of chronic kidney disease aren't so lucky. According to experts, too many overlook the symptoms of this "silent killer" until it's too late.

One of the key early warning signs: the relentless fatigue of anemia. Mourning has teamed up with drug manufacturer Ortho Biotech, the maker of the anti-anemia drug Procrit, to get the word out that anemia isn't just a minor irritant that will go away.

"We've been going around the country, creating awareness with the 'Rebound From Anemia' campaign," he said. "It's a national program and Web site aimed at raising awareness about this important issue."

According to kidney-disease expert Dr. Robert Provenzano, about 75 percent of kidney-disease cases are linked to widespread conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. And because those risk factors are on the rise across the United States, so too is the incidence of overt and undetected chronic kidney disease.

"What happens with diabetes and hypertension is that the kidney's blood-filtering units are damaged. That means that blood no longer goes to them, and the blood doesn't get cleaned," explained Provenzano, who is director of nephrology research and acute dialysis services at St. John Hospital and Medical Center, in Detroit.

Over time, this type of damage can trigger an irreversible shutdown of both kidneys, with daily dialysis or organ transplant the only treatment options available.

It doesn't have to be that way, said Provenzano, who is also a professor of medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine. "Anemia is an early sign that something may be wrong with your kidneys," he said. "But many primary-care doctors don't make that linkage between anemia and kidney disease."

So, both Mourning and Provenzano are urging Americans at risk -- either from a family history of kidney disease or risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes -- to see their doctor regularly, and push for simple, inexpensive tests that can spot anemia and chronic kidney disease.

"So many of us are afraid to go to the doctor, because we're afraid of what doctors might tell us, when in reality, it can save your life," Mourning said. "When it comes to your health, you have to be an active participant. Early detection is so important -- not just waiting until something hurts."

Mourning's performance on the court and off proves that kidney disease can be beaten. He admits that he had some down moments soon after his diagnosis. But he said he thought of his wife, Tracy, and his children, Myka and Alonzo III.

"I knew I had to be around for my children," Mourning said. "I had to get out of the 'Why-did-this-happen-to-me?' place, and do something about it, turn it into a positive."

Besides working with "Rebound From Anemia," Mourning also founded a charity, "Zo's Fund for Life," that's focused on supporting research and education on kidney disorders, as well as providing financial relief to patients battling the illness. In 2005, Mourning made headlines when he donated his entire Miami Heat salary to charities that helped that city's underprivileged youth and people struggling with kidney disease.

Mourning said helping others has been a slam-dunk for him.

"I just feel like my walk through this particular journey has been touching others, every step that I take," he said. "I hope it is inspiring them, because that inspires me to continue to do what I do."

More information

For more on kidney disease, visit the National Kidney Foundation.

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