SELINSGROVE — Corey Furman’s kidney failure wasn’t diagnosed for many, many years after his Army stint in the first Gulf War.
The problem was caused by an exposure to quinine, an anti-malaria medication given to soldiers at that time. He had no idea he had the uncommon, life-threatening side effect until December 2009, when he underwent routine testing for unsteady blood pressure.
His kidney function was at less than 10 percent.
As was his practice in military battle, however, Furman, 41, had no intention of letting the diagnosis keep him down.
“I was always quite driven,” he said.
Continuing to work 10-hour days at his family’s business, and a strong advocate for community service, Furman was honored as the 2011 Hero of Hope this week at the Hope Affair, the American Kidney Fund’s third annual national gala in Washington, D.C.
Furman is a computer programmer at Furmano Foods, Northumberland. While at work, he treats himself with peritoneal dialysis during lunchtime. He is hooked to a dialysis machine all night long.
“At times, it’s a fight,” he said.
But he is blessed, he said, that he undergoes a type of treatment that doesn’t require going to a local clinic and that gives him some freedom.
He also has been blessed with the support of his family and work environment, he said, which has “enabled me to do what I need to do.”
Above all, his faith was strengthened through his battle with kidney disease.
Discovering how the kidneys operate, and how this special dialysis treatment works — “I’m essentially using my own body as an artificial kidney,” he said — has made him realize a deeper meaning in Psalm 139, which reads, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Furman also is attending night school to earn a bachelor of science degree in information systems management, and his involvement in his church, Selinsgrove Church of the Nazarene, “is an important part of my life,” he said.
“If you slow down and stop, death isn’t far away,” Furman said. “If I were to sit in an easy chair all day long, I’d quickly lose my mind.”
Furman and his family also have been active volunteers at Haven Ministry, a Sunbury homeless shelter, collecting donations and cooking dinners.
“I feel like I need to give back,” he said. “I’m really blessed. I’m passionate about trying to help other people.”
Furman hopes to continue volunteering at the shelter once he gets his transplant, which, he said, may not occur for 3½ to 5 years.
“There are well over 100,000 people waiting for a kidney transplant,” he said.
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Gulf War veteran honored as the 2011 Hero of Hope
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