(Left to Right) Jack Abbott and Jimmy Slick
“No one really knows what started it because I didn’t
go to doctors,” he said.
Abbott stabilized at 30 percent for a few years, until
his doctor suggested he be added to the kidney
transplant list for deceased donors about a decade ago.
“I didn’t get a call till about two years ago,” he said.
Abbott’s kidney functions had reached 20 percent
when his doctor called to tell him there was a kidney
available from a deceased donor, but with a catch.
“The deceased donor spent time in prison,” Abbott
said. “He might have AIDS, he might have this, he might
have that, and I have to decide instantly. When they get
a kidney, (the surgery) has to be within hours; it’s that
simple.”
Despite the need for a kidney, Abbott was in good
health and hadn’t been placed on dialysis, a medical
filtering process that performs the task of cleaning waste
in the blood when kidneys are not functioning normally.
From left to right: Sandra Abbott, Jimmy Slick and Jack Abbott are all avid runners.
They hope to run in the Peachtree Road Race in 2022 after recovering from their
surgeries.
NOVEMBER 2021 | COBB LIFE 49