Home dialysis gives dad time with newborn

HAMILTON — Just a couple months after setting up a nursery for their newborn, Arie and Joy Pekar dedicated another room in their home to dialysis treatment.
Arie started dialysis on June 19 and, on June 23, he and Joy welcomed a baby, Benjamin, who arrived three weeks early, into their home.
Earlier this month, Arie started home hemodialysis so he could spend less time away from his family.
Arie has polycystic kidney disease, which causes cysts to develop and interfere with the organ’s ability to filter waste from the blood. In addition, the disease makes you exceptionally tired, as the kidney is responsible for creating a hormone that triggers the body to create red blood cells. It can also cause nausea, skin conditions and trouble with digestion.

Arie’s mother, Ilana, has had the disease for decades, and after learning he had very high blood pressure, Arie was tested. At age 21, he found out he had inherited the genetic condition.
Because Arie, now 33, was diagnosed early and while he was in good health, doctors were optimistic about his prognosis. But despite preventive treatments and a healthy lifestyle, his disease is progressing quickly.
Arie and his mom both need kidney transplants. Friends and family have been tested as donors and ruled out.
Since the couple went public with their story last January, several people have come forward for testing, but so far, no one has been a suitable match.
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