Document text
38 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 28, 2004 This team in today�s Cadillac Invitational golf tournament, which will benefit the National Kidney Foundation, knows about kidney disease firsthand. From left they are John Borges, Yvonne Tauriainen and Larry Marshall. Not pictured is teammate Ron McUne. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli One unusual team will play to benefit kidney foundation The Cadillac Invitational golf tournament is today at Eagle Point By JACI SCHNEIDER Mail Tribune A miracle, a survivor, a patient and a catalyst will play a round of golf together today for a good cause. The four Rogue Valley residents will play in the Cadillac Invitational golf tournament at Eagle Point Golf Course to support the National Kidney Foundation. Unlike the other 35 teams in the tournament, this team understands kidney disease on a personal level. All the members have their own "kidney stories." The "miracle" is Larry Marshall of Ashland. Three years ago, Marshall, now 62, accompanied wife Joy to the doctor. Because of a family history of kidney problems, he decided he would have an ultrasound with his wife. His wife was perfectly healthy, but Marshall had a mass the size of a golf ball in one of his kidneys. Advertisement Luckily, the cancer was detected early, and Marshall’s kidney was safely removed in August 2002. "Normally, one doesn’t know they have kidney cancer until it’s too late," Marshall said. "It was indeed a miracle." The survivor of the team is Yvonne Tauriainen of Jacksonville. She had a successful kidney transplant two years ago. These days she said that she’s thankful to be able to golf, work and spend time with her two children. The golf tournament is a good opportunity for her to thank people who give to the National Kidney Foundation and let them know their money is going to a good cause. "This community is just awesome," Tauriainen said. The patient is John Borges of Shady Cove. Borges has been on dialysis for almost four years. "Prior to that I didn’t even know what that (dialysis) was," he said. Now he visits the dialysis center three times a week for four hours of treatments that remove waste and excess fluids from his blood. "It’s like half your life," he said. Borges, 69, has been on the kidney transplant list for three years. On average, a patient is on the list for two and a half years. Borges is looking forward to the tournament but he said he’s strictly a recreational golfer. "I know I’m going to have a very good time," he said. The catalyst is Ron McUne, executive director of Britt Festivals. McUne was the reason that another miracle happened. A few years ago, McUne introduced his coworker, Susan Baumgardner, to then Oregon Symphony conductor James DePreist. He later found out that DePreist, also a former conductor of the Britt Classical Festival, had kidney disease. When he relayed the information to Baumgardner, she had her blood and tissue tested. Baumgardner and DePreist were a match, so Baumgardner donated a kidney to him. "He’s alive today because of that," McUne said. Following the operation, Baumgardner became the executive director of the National Kidney Foundation of Oregon and Washington. She asked McUne to be on the golf team because of his story. "I feel kind of honored to be part of that group," he said. Despite the teammates’ commonalties, this tournament will be the first time they’ve all met. "I’m anxious to meet and talk to them," Tauriainen said. Joy Marshall organized the team, and South Valley Bank sponsored the $300-per-person entry fee. The tournament begins at noon today, with a dinner awards ceremony following the competition. The team that wins will qualify to compete at Pebble Beach Golf Resorts in California in the national contest. However, the "kidney story" team doesn’t hold high hopes of taking home first place. All four members claimed they’re purely in it for fun. "I really like to play," McUne said, "and this is for a good cause." For more information about the National Kidney Foundation or the Cadillac Invitational, call 773-8930. Kidney disease facts Here are some facts about kidney disease from the National Kidney Foundation: 20 million Americans have kidney disease — 1 in 9 adults. 20 million others are at increased risk. There are 10,500 dialysis patients in Oregon and Washington. Kidney disease is one of the costliest illnesses in the United States today. The Cadillac Invitation raises $7 million annually nationwide for research, public education and prevention, patient services and professional education. For more information, visit www.kidney.org . Reach reporting intern Jaci Schneider at 776-4471. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers