By Charla Wurm-Adams
cwurm@wbcowqel.com

Martin Grady and his wife Amanda know what it is like to beat the odds against an obstacle as unrelenting as kidney failure. But now the Grady’s have to find a way to pay the bill that comes with battling those odds.

Grady was born with a damaged kidney and received dialysis for four years at the Crawford County Kidney Center in Bucyrus. He continued that treatment while waiting list for a kidney transplant. On March 9 his prayers were answered with a second chance at another kidney. The first kidney donation did not work for Grady.

“When we first got together, told me that he probably wasn’t going to live more than another year or two and that we shouldn’t be looking too far into the future because he did not have a whole lot of time left,” Amanda Grady said. “Then he eventually told me about the kidney problems and everything that went with it, but he said he also had dreams of having a family and having kids of his own. “

Martin Grady had been off and on dialysis before. To get back on the treatment he had to sign a commitment to remain on the treatment. It was literally a last chance at life. He continued the regimnen three days a week, four hours at a time.

The couple eventually had three boys, but as Amanda noted, it wasn’t an easy life – especially living in a two-bedroom apartment.

“Even with him being on dialysis he was still sick all the time and he would get agitated,” Amanda said. “It sucked really badly and it did not just affect him, it affected everyone around him.”

Grady was called to Columbus for a kidney transplant when his wife was in labor with their third child. But when they got there they were told the kidney was no good.

“It took another eight and one-half months for him to get the other call, so we went down there and we were terrified that we were going to get sent home again,” Amanda said. “Finally they said the kidney was going to be good and they were going to do surgery early in the morning. It was just crazy overwhelming, I cried constantly because I was so excited and happy but I was so scared.”

So far, it’s been good for Martin and his new healthy kidney. He works at IB Tech, although he is off during recovery from the transplant.

“He feels pretty good with no dialysis now,” Amanda said.

But it’s not all good for the Grady family who is hoping to move into a four-bedroom home in May. Martin’s cost for ant-rejection medication, which he will have to take for the rest of his life, is $1,000 a month.

“Any help with bills we could get would be awesome,” Amanda said.

Those organizations or individuals interested in helping the family may call 419-689-0514, or contact them through email at bijou2u@hotmail.com.