Retired teacher in need of a kidney waits for “the call”
When Mike Thorn was 4 years old, he had surgery for a ruptured kidney, due to a misdiagnosis. That was in 1972. For decades, he’s lived with the knowledge that one day, he would need a kidney transplant. That day is here.
In 2023, Mike’s kidney function dipped below 20% and he was placed on the transplant waiting list. Because he has followed a strict diet (low protein, no salt) for years, he’s been able to manage his health and isn’t on dialysis yet. But he knows that day is looming.
“I get tired easily,” he says. “I wake up each day only half charged.”
Although Mike’s health issues have always been a part of his life, he never let them define who he is. He graduated from The Ohio State University and, for 30 years before retiring, worked for Columbus Public Schools teaching kindergarten as well as students in grades 2, 4 and 5. He also married his sweetheart, Tawana (also a retired educator), who he met when they were both teachers at one of the elementary schools in Columbus.
“I am so lucky to have Tawana in my life,” says Mike. “She is the best medicine I could ever hope for.”
The couple has two “four-legged children” Mike jokes—a border collie mix and a beagle/Australian shepherd mix. “We’ve always had dogs that no one else has wanted.”
Both Mike and Tawana are avid readers, and Mike is a regular patron of the Columbus Metropolitan Library System.
“Some of the best books I’ve ever read are picture books,” he says. “When I was teaching elementary students, I would read picture books to them. Even as an adult, I respect and admire the talent that goes into the illustrations of a picture book. To me, it’s art.”
When he’s not reading, rooting for the Buckeyes, taking his dogs for a walk or spending time with Tawana, Mike waits for “the call.”
“Throughout my life, I’ve never been connected to my phone,” he says. “But I am now.”
Mike is very thankful for the care he’s received from his physicians and the support from people outside his family.
“I am so grateful to my doctors, who keep me together and give me hope,” Mike says. “Also, a lot of my former students and their families help me spread my ‘Big Ask’ by sharing my Facebook postings. Some of my former students and their families have even been screened to see if they could be a living donor.”
He adds that the thought of getting a transplant is overwhelming at times—like a giant puzzle.
Added to that is the fact that because of the antibodies that built up from that surgery back in 1972, Mike was told that his body would reject around 67% of available kidneys, making it a challenge to find the right match.
But Mike remains hopeful. “I have faith that it’s going to work out. That somewhere out there is an incredibly generous donor whose kidney is the right match for me.”
