By Nicole June
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A Clarksville man now has hope for a better life, thanks to his determination and the help of a generous and supportive community.
28-year-old Joshua Surovey was diagnosed with End State Renal Disease in 2010. His kidneys were failing and his doctor put him on medication in an attempt to avoid dialysis as long as possible.
However, two weeks after he graduated from the Art Institute of Nashville in March 2012, the situation became dire, and he was forced to begin dialysis treatments. This meant spending much of his time hooked up to machines.
In May 2015, Joshua qualified for an organ transplant. He lost a significant amount of weight to improve his health and created a Facebook page in his quest for a new kidney.
After receiving a lukewarm response, he knew it was time to step it up.
“I was getting tired of it and I wanted to take a drastic change,” Joshua said. “It was time to get out there and make things happen.”
He used money from a GoFundMe account created in his name to order car decals, magnets, business cards, a road sign, and finally a billboard to get the word out to the public about his need.
Joshua recently began standing on Wilma Rudolph Blvd. with his sign for as long as he was physically able to grab the attention of passersby.
His billboard, which was finished this week, now stands tall over Riverside. Dr.
Joshua’s blood type is O positive, meaning a possible donor must have an O positive or O negative blood type to qualify as a match. This makes finding a prospective donor somewhat more difficult.
Since displaying his signs, however, the response to his cause has been massive. He and his mother, Teresa Lynn McDonald Surovey, spent nearly eight hours Wednesday responding to Facebook messages and comments. Joshua’s phone has also been blowing up with calls and texts.
“The individuals who have donated in order to help me, I wouldn’t be where I’m at without them. Really, I thank them,” he said.
Currently about 40-50 people have responded to Joshua’s plea to say that they would be interested in becoming a donor. Of those, about 15 have followed up with him about continuing the process.
Anyone who is interested in helping Joshua through organ donation can contact his transplant coordinator at St. Thomas West Hospital at 615-222-3446.
Joshua is excited to have a fresh start.
“I just want to live,” he said. “I have life back instead of just being hooked up for 12 hours a day to a machine. I just want to have a life, start a career, and start a family. Just have the life anybody my same age would.”
Despite having a degree in the art field, he now wants to pursue a career that will allow him to help others in situations similar to his own.
He said he is grateful for the kind words and help from all those who have responded.
“The progress and success that I’ve had wouldn’t be without them. If there are other people out there…if you’re in the same situation and you need a kidney or an organ transplant or you need a life-changing event, just get out there and fight it,” he said.
Find out more about Joshua Surovey on his Facebook page, A New Kidney for Joshua.