Abilene actor awaits kidney transplant as he plays up organ donation

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Abilene actor Bruce Calvery will provide the voice of Dr. Peter Felker in Abilene Community Theater (ACT) upcoming production of The God Committee. The show, about a heart transplant, places Calvery in a familiar zone as he awaits his own kidney transplant.

This is what he calls a relatively small role. In fact, you won't even see him on stage. All of his lines will be emitted from a loudspeaker and played backstage. Even with a “small” role, he had a big impact on the entire production.

The plot of The God Committee follows a small medical commission responsible for quickly deciding the fate of a heart en route to the hospital. Many patients need it, but they have to choose who gets it. It's a story that director Gary Varner said might relate to some sort of crossover between emergency And 12 angry men.

“It’s about the moral dilemmas that they find themselves facing because it’s difficult to remain neutral,” Varner explained. “At some point, someone says you're playing God. Someone has to make that decision.”

Although these actors take each show seriously, Varner told KTAB/KRBC that their commitment to the play deepened when Calvery made an announcement a few months earlier. He told the cast and crew that he felt a special connection to the narrative because he has now been waiting on the kidney transplant list for about a year.

That's when the play's impact was really felt, according to Varner, “the night he told us the story, his journey to get this transplant, and I think the The whole show became personal for us. »

Although not immediately fatal, Calvery's diagnosis had a significant impact on his quality of life. After undergoing 40 dialysis treatments with no end in sight, he says he feels weaker as kidney failure takes its toll. As his doctors relay the hard truths about his condition, Calvery remains hopeful.

“I asked him (his doctor) how many patients were on the kidney transplant list. She talked about 115,000, and then she said we're losing 4,000 patients a year waiting for a kidney transplant,” Calvery said.

Thanks to this harsh realization, he did not lose hope and the support of his friends at ACT allowed him to enjoy life a little more while waiting for the call that could come at any moment. Varner told KTAB/KRBC that he was determined to have Calvery on the show no matter what, prompting the team to record his lines to use in case he was called in for the procedure.

“If he gets the call on opening night and we know he's going to get the transplant, it will be a very joyful occasion,” Varner encouraged.

Of course, Calvery also has other reasons to remain hopeful. A man named Mike, a member of his Shriners/Masons groups, declared himself a living donor after learning Calvery was in need. Mike contacted him after he announced his condition at a social gathering.

“I don’t know if Mike and I are up to it, but we’re still working toward it right now,” Calvery said.

Although he may not be up to the task, Calvery said such a kind and selfless gesture was enough to keep him in the fight, and that the act reinforced his belief in the need for living donors to help people like him.

“There is always hope, and with the addition of a living donor. Hope is better,” Calvery added.

If Mike is found not to be a match, the hospital will work to see if his donation can be used for another transplant, and Calvery will remain on its current waiting list. Which, he told KTAB/KRBC, he would be happy to know that someone else was receiving this help.

The God Committee runs Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 14 at the Abilene Community Theater. The cast and crew will hold a discussion with the audience following the production. A man who has served on actual organ transplant committees to answer questions about the process. Calvery said he hopes to encourage others to become a living donor with his performance.

The month of April is National Gift of Life Monthand Hendrick Medical Center will honor organ donors and their families with flag-raising ceremonies on all three hospital campuses starting next week.