Vets First Podcast

In this episode we first hear from Vince and David, a father and son two days before their kidney transplant surgery. David is donating his kidney to his father Vince, an Air Force Veteran of 8 years. Vince was born in Michigan, moved to California, New Mexico, and then Alaska in 1978. He joined the Air Force in 1955 and served until 1963. Also in this interview we hear from their two caregivers, Darlene and Jennifer, and get their perspective on the upcoming surgery. The group made the trip down from Alaska to the Iowa City VA Healthcare System for this life-changing event.
In the second half of the episode, we hear from Veteran Jack Jones and his wife Martha from North Carolina. Jack grew up in New Bern and served in the Navy as a boiler operator from 1975 to 1979. Jack received the first Hepatitis C positive kidney through a pioneering new program at the Iowa City VA Healthcare System, where medical advances have made Hepatitis C positive kidneys viable for transplant into patients without developing the disease. He shares with us his military experiences, his developing need for a kidney transplant due to diabetes, and his care at the Iowa City VA Healthcare System.

Show Notes

In this episode we first hear from Vince and David, a father and son pair,  two days before their kidney transplant surgery. David is donating his kidney to his father Vince, an Air Force Veteran of 8 years.  Vince was born in Michigan, moved to California, New Mexico, and then Alaska in 1978.  He joined the Air Force in 1955 and served until 1963. Roughly two years ago Vince’s bloodwork began to show his kidney functions were elevated.  Shortly after, Vince was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and eventually would require a kidney transplant. David was more than ready to step up and help his father with a kidney of his own after compatibility tests had shown he could donate to Vince. Also, in this interview we hear from their two caregivers Darlene and Jennifer and get their perspective on the upcoming surgery and how important family and friends are. The group made the trip down from Alaska to Iowa City VA Healthcare System for this life-changing event. 

In the second half of the episode, we hear from Veteran Jack Jones and his wife Martha from Asheville, North Carolina.  Jack grew up in New Bern and followed in his father’s footsteps in joining the Navy after high school in 1975. He served as a boiler operator from 1975 to 1979 and shares some of his experiences on his ship.  Being a diabetic and through normal checkups, Jack was informed that his kidneys had dropped to 20% functionality and got on the kidney transplant waiting list in 2015. 

Previously being cured of Hepatitis C, Jack was presented with the unique opportunity to receive a kidney quickly.  He received the first Hepatitis C positive kidney through a pioneering new program at the Iowa City VA Healthcare System, where medical advances have made Hepatitis C positive kidneys viable for transplant into patients without developing the disease. Jack shares with us some of his military experiences, his developing need for a kidney transplant due to diabetes, what dialysis entails, his care at Iowa City VA Healthcare System, and how appreciative he is for his new kidney.

What is Vets First Podcast?

The Vets First podcast is a research-based podcast that focuses on the VA healthcare system and its patients. Instead of being just another research podcast, the Vets First podcast was created with a primary focus on the Veterans and their stories. The hosts, Levi Sowers PhD, and Brandon Rea work to bridge the gap between the state-of-the-art research being performed at Veterans Affairs and the Veterans themselves in an easy-to-understand manner. Importantly, Levi and Brandon want to assist researchers around the country to better understand the needs of Veterans. In this podcast you will hear interviews from Veterans with specific conditions and then hear from VA funded researchers who are studying those very topics as well as other highlighted services the VA provides.

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not endorse or officially sanction any entities that may be discussed in this podcast, nor any media, products or services they may provide.