STATUS:
Received - Living Kidney Donation 5/1/2024
After college, George Packard enlisted in the Army and attended Infantry Officer training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Later he served with the Ranger Training Command before going to Vietnam as a platoon leader with the First Infantry Division. He received a Silver Star and a Bronze Star for valor during that period. He finished his active duty as a Captain.
He remained in the Reserves while in seminary with the intention of becoming a chaplain in the Army, which he did in 1975. Of his many assignments in the Reserves, he favored the pastoral care of patients and their families at military or veterans’ hospitals and Fisher Houses. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1993.
In 1999 he became Bishop for the Armed Forces for the Episcopal Church with responsibilities of visiting military installations throughout the world. He led the chaplain response on September 11th at Ground Zero - to include morgue setup and PTSD counseling - and repeated that outreach in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
George lost one kidney when a mass was found in 2005. The tumor was benign but, unfortunately, the entire kidney was removed during that discovery. Nevertheless, he functioned well with one kidney until he had a minor cardiac episode in 2021 which was treated with an adjustment of medication. During that cardiac assessment contrast dye was used which had a critical impact on his remaining kidney. George went on dialysis in May 2023 after his renal system was damaged by that contrast dye.
George remains active in the cause of veterans’ rights. He is married to Brook, a retired music teacher. His family is willing and eager to be organ donors, but the two likely candidates have disqualifying health conditions.
George has enlisted the help of a Veteran's organization called DOVE Transplant which is helping in his outreach to find his life-saving kidney donor. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery.
A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save this Veteran's life! Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call 551-449-8319.
George Packard
Army Veteran
