Hyde Park artist draws daily creative inspiration from chronic health experience

A kidney transplantation means much more than good health to Jason E. Jones. The 53 year-old Hyde Park artist and Loyola Medicine patient draws daily creative inspiration from his chronic health experience.

"My new kidney changed not only my life but my life's work," said Mr. Jones, who has been an artist for two decades. "My whole health journey became part of my artistic process and my daily experiences with medication and dialysis were incorporated into my artwork."

Mr. Jones has chronicled his health journey in his artwork in a wide range of techniques including a montage of repurposed dialysis equipment and medication packages. "I was physically, financially, emotionally, spiritually and even artistically tied to my disease treatment," he said. "When I was ill and waiting for a new kidney, my artwork reflected the extreme dependency I experienced."

But Mr. Jones' life, and his art, changed dramatically on April 29, 2015 when he received a kidney transplant at Loyola University Medical Center. The surgery was performed by Jorge Almario Alvarez, MD, intra-abdominal transplant surgeon.

"After I got my new kidney transplant at Loyola, I had a newfound sense of energy and freedom," said Mr. Jones. "I felt invigorated and was inspired to do more physically challenging larger pieces where I worked with paint and materials vigorously with my hands. Loyola freed me from the bondage of dependency and limitation. I had been creatively limited and now felt that rush of freedom that all things were again possible."

According to the National Kidney Foundation, on average, receiving a kidney transplant can double someone's life expectancy. The average wait for a kidney is three to five years, depending on blood type.

"I was immediately struck by Jason's story of how his disease influenced his artistry and it really came to life when he showed me his artwork," Dr. Almario Alvarez said.
Loyola's Transplant Center has the medical expertise and technological resources to care for the most difficult conditions, whether you need a kidney or a multi-organ transplant. Since 1971, Loyola's kidney program has provided a full range of services for patients of all ages as they prepare for a kidney transplant.

"Dr. Almario Alvarez spent time with me, really getting to know me, and he answered all my questions thoroughly and thoughtfully," said Mr. Jones. "I knew I would get the best academic medical care at Loyola, but the personal attention that he and the whole Loyola team gave me just really made the whole experience exceptional."

Loyola's board-certified transplant surgeons are widely regarded and highly skilled in both traditional and minimally invasive surgery. Loyola surgeons use laparoscopic surgery for living donors, which leads to a quicker recovery and less pain. An association with the National Kidney Registry gives hard-to-match recipients a better chance of finding the best kidney.

"At Loyola, we have a multidisciplinary care team including nurses, surgeons, nutritionists, physical therapists, pastoral care chaplains and doctors and we put more than just our academic skills into our work. We put our heart into every patient," said Dr. Almario Alvarez.