Windham resident searching for kidney transplant donor

By Ed Pierce

A young Windham woman is optimistic that a kidney transplant will return her life to normalcy and give her back an opportunity at having a future.

Windham resident Katie St. Pierre was diagnosed
with IGA nephropathy last April. Starting
kidney dialysis immediately thereafter, she
was informed that she required a kidney
transplant and is actively seeking a kidney
donor for transplant surgery at Maine Medical
Center in Portland. COURTESY PHOTO, 

Katie St. Pierre, who will be 34 next month, was diagnosed with IGA nephropathy last April. It is a chronic kidney disease characterized by deposits of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in one of her kidneys, leading to inflammation and damage to the glomeruli, tiny filters that remove waste products from the blood.

“I was first diagnosed with IGA in April 2024,” St. Pierre said. “My case is considered hereditary, and I've probably had it my whole life, although I do not have any close family members with a similar condition.”

The biggest issues St Pierre has been experiencing are the extreme exhaustion that comes with IGA neuropathy and the buildup of fluids it causes.

“Imagine jumping in a pool fully clothed then walking around the rest of the day like that,” St. Pierre said. “I wake up every morning feeling like my limbs are made of lead.”

St. Pierre is a familiar face to many in the area, having worked in the bakery department at the North Windham Hannaford store since 2019. Born in South Portland, she is married and has lived in Windham since she was 5.

Upon receiving her IGA diagnosis last year and immediately starting on dialysis, doctors have advised St. Pierre that a kidney transplant is her best option for survival and to improve her quality of life.

“I was told I needed a transplant on the same day I got my diagnosis. I ended up being hospitalized for a little over a week after some blood work came back,” she said. “During that time, I had many tests done but for a definitive answer they had to do a kidney biopsy, basically taking a small sliver of your kidney and putting it under a microscope to see what's wrong.”

She said at first, she kept telling myself that it wasn't that bad, and she wasn't going to need anything as extreme as a transplant.

“I thought with medication I would be fine and after the biopsy they released me from the hospital,” St. Pierre said. “I hadn't even made it home yet before I got a phone call with the results. My kidneys were over 70 percent scar tissue and at this point I had limited function. I was hovering between 9 and 12 percent functionality and in contrast, the average person is at about 90 percent. My numbers had been rapidly decreasing. This was devastating news. I had been so happy to go home, I felt like I was failing my family, and I was going to be a burden.”

According to St. Pierre, she chose to undergo home dialysis treatment, called peritoneal dialysis or PD for short.

“At first I was doing five days a week but now I am doing a treatment every day,” she said. “I do eight and a half hours of treatment every night. It can be isolating at times knowing that I have to plug myself into a machine every night just to function at a limited capacity and it is extremely depressing. But I'm also very grateful to live in a time where I have these opportunities and the ability to survive.”

Through it all, St. Pierre has been able to continue working with the help of dialysis and other medications but unfortunately that is not sustainable long term, leaving her with no other option than to find a kidney donor for a transplant.

“If you or someone you know is willing to consider being a living kidney donor, I would be deeply grateful,” she said. “A living donation is a life-saving gift, and you could make all the difference in my journey or even someone else's. This experience has shown me the difficulties that so many are going through right now. All potential donors will be fully evaluated by medical professionals to ensure safety for both the donor and the recipient.”

Prior to needing a kidney transplant, St. Pierre loved attending craft fairs, county fairs, and town fairs. She enjoyed taking my dogs for walks around the many beautiful paths and parks in Windham and going to the movies and restaurants.

“Now I spend the majority of my free time sleeping,’ she said. “When I'm not working, I normally have doctor appointments or blood tests to take. I would like to say I'm able to get out there and do things, but right now I rest up for the things that I have to do. I hope that one day I can do the things that I simply want to do. I'm lucky enough to have an extremely supportive husband as well as family and friends. I was reluctant to tell people at first, but I've come to be able to talk openly and honestly about my day-to-day struggles.”

If she’s able to find a donor, St. Pierre’s surgery would be performed at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Recovery time varies from person to person, but she believes the standard recovery time is about two to four weeks, but it can take up to six or more depending on the person.

“I feel it is important to note that the medical coverage for the donor’s surgery will be covered through the receiver's insurance, however it doesn't cover any time lost from work and it may not cover certain aspects,” St Pierre said. “Definitely something to look into beforehand and I encourage everyone to do so.”

Mentally St. Pierre has been trying to remain as positive as possible given her circumstances but realizes it’s not easy to do but is thankful for an amazing support system.

“The most important thing I'd like people to know is that I hate that I have to ask this, and if I didn't have to I wouldn't,” she said. “I'm a private person and this isn't something I ever thought I'd have to do but it's something I need to do to increase my chances at a longer healthy life. While this will increase my lifespan, it's not a cure. I will continue to have this disease throughout my life. Unfortunately, kidney donations only last so long and I very well may need another donation in the future.”

To donate a kidney to help St. Pierre or someone else on the kidney transplant list, potential donors can register at mmc.donorscreen.org.

“To donate you must have the person’s full legal name,” St. Pierre said. “Mine is Katelyn St. Pierre, though everyone calls me Katie. Or you can choose to donate without having a specific person in mind.” <

‘Comeback Kid’ aims to defend New England boxing championship

By Ed Pierce

It took years for Casey Streeter to overcome excruciating physical pain from nearly losing a leg in a workplace accident and a disturbing childhood to win the New England Super Welterweight boxing championship and now as he prepares to defend his title for the third time, he’s resolute to remain a champion.

Boxer Casey Streeter, left, a Correctional Trade Instructor
at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, will defend
his New England Super Welterweight boxing title against
Joe Farina of Massachusetts in March. Streeter beat Farina
in November 2023 to win the title and has successfully
defended it twice since then.
PHOTO BY STEPHEN SHEA     

Streeter, 33, grew up in a troubled home in Raymond, and was recently promoted to the position of Correctional Trades Instructor at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham. He was a promising young boxer training under Bobby Russo at the Portland Boxing Club in August 2017 and when he learned that he had been hired to become a correctional officer in Windham. He was at work in North Yarmouth on his last day as an arborist when a devastating accident happened that left Streeter’s entire future seriously in doubt.

He was working for a tree removal company dragging logs with a log chain from a ditch. Streeter had wrapped one end of a chain around a tree trunk and was walking the other end of the chain up to the log truck’s grapple device from a ditch when a co-worker lost sight of him, and the grapple suddenly closed and clamped onto his right leg. At that instant his right femur and knee shattered, causing a compound fracture with a chunk of his leg also torn away by the grapple hook.

Blood poured from the wound and the grapple’s claw had just missed severing his femoral artery by a quarter inch. He stumbled into the ditch and thought of his wife Abby and his two children and wondered if he was going to die. His co-worker found him in the ditch and tried calling for help on his cell phone, but service wasn’t available there, so he ran to a nearby home and used their phone to summon help.

EMTs rushed Streeter to Maine Medical Center in Portland with his leg was so badly mangled that doctors didn’t know if they could save it. Fortunately, the orthopedic trauma surgeon on duty that day was a military veteran who had saved U.S. soldiers on the battlefield in Iraq. He assured Streeter that he could save his leg, and he led a team to carefully reconstruct it using more than 20 metal pins and rods.

Following surgery, Streeter developed a severe wound infection and then had to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder from the accident. He slowly began walking again with the aid of crutches and after months of challenging physical therapy, he finally felt that he had turned a corner. He was able to work at the Maine Correctional Center while believing that he might be able to box once again.

“I was left with scars, and lots of metal,” Streeter said. “The colder months are tough, but I am able to use my leg and don’t feel much of a difference in my lateral movement.”

He returned to training under Russo in 2019 and adopted the nickname of “The Comeback Kid.” Regaining his strength and prowess in the ring took time but Streeter was determined to fight again and on Nov. 11, 2023, he outlasted Joe Farina of Massachusetts in eight rounds at the Portland Expo to win the New England Super Welterweight title at 154 pounds.

Streeter successfully defended his championship twice in 2024, knocking out Jimmy Williams on June 15 at the Cross Insurance Arena just over 2 minutes into the first round. He then fought 8 tough rounds against Derrick Whitley on Nov. 9 at the Portland Expo in a back-and-forth thriller that ended in a draw with Streeter retaining his title.

His current record is 12-2-2 with 5 knockouts and he’s back in training getting ready to make a third title defense on March 22 at the Royale in Boston against a familiar opponent, Joe Farina. His first bout against Farina in Maine went the full eight rounds with Streeter’s strong combination punches attributed as the difference in the judge’s majority decision that night.

“He brings the pressure. He constantly comes forward. He’s a tough guy,” Streeter says of Farina. “He always comes ready, and this time he is coming for revenge. This time we will fight 10 rounds, instead of 8.”

From his home near the Raymond/Gray town line, Streeter has been training seven days a week and putting in up to two to three hours of a workout routine.

“I spar, do mitt work, work on strength and conditioning, and can run multiple miles in a week,” he said. “This is after I’ve already worked a shift at the Maine Corrections Center. I’m always consistently training, but when I’m in camp for a fight, I try to train every day.”

He said that his wife of 12 years, Abby, and his two children inspired him to recover from his injuries and to box again.

“My wife and kids are my biggest supporters,” Streeter said. “The kids have their own gloves. We do mitt work together and they love to come to the gym with me.” <

Local boxer overcomes crippling injury to win New England Super Welterweight title

By Ed Pierce

All Casey Streeter can do is smile when he thinks about how far he has come in a few short years. He was rising through the ranks as a professional boxer in 2017 and was looking forward to starting a new job as a correctional officer at the Maine Corrections Center in Windham, but on his final day of work as an arborist, he almost lost his life and his right leg in an accident.

Boxer Casey Streeter, left, beat Joe Farina of Massachusetts
to win the New England Super Welterweight title during
a championship fight at the Portland Expo on Nov. 11.
He had to overcome a crippling injury to his right leg
in 2017 from a logging accident to come back and 
continue his professional boxing career.
STEPHEN SHEA PHOTOGRPAHY    

Originally from Portland, Streeter has been boxing since the age of 9 and turned professional in 2014. He had started in boxing to overcome a challenging and traumatic childhood and was well on his way to achieving his dreams with a record of 9-1 as a professional.

“I became part of Bobby Russo’s Portland Boxing Club in order to have an outlet,” Streeter said. “It literally saved my life.”

But it all came to a screeching halt in August 2017 when a log truck’s grapple suddenly clamped down on his leg.

When the accident happened, Streeter was working dragging logs with a log chain from a ditch in North Yarmouth. He had wrapped one end of the chain around a tree trunk and was walking the other end of the chain up to the log truck’s grapple from a ditch when his co-worker lost sight of him, and the grapple suddenly closed and clamped onto his leg.

His femur and knee were shattered, he sustained a compound fracture, and a chunk of his leg was also torn away by the grapple. Blood erupted from his wound and the grapple’s claw had just missed his femoral artery by a quarter inch. He stumbled down into the ditch and didn’t know if he was going to live. He thought of his wife Abby and his children and wondered if this was the end of his life.

Streeter’s co-worker found him in the ditch, tried calling for help on his cell phone but there was no cell service available. He then ran to a nearby home and used their telephone to summon help.

Rushed to Maine Medical Center, his leg was so mangled that doctors were unsure if they could save it. But his orthopedic trauma surgeon was a military veteran who had worked with soldiers on the battlefield in Iraq. He assured Streeter that he would not lose his leg and reconstructed it carefully using more than 20 metal pins and rods. A severe wound infection and post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from the accident also had to be overcome by Streeter.

He then began walking again with the aid of crutches and following months of difficult physical therapy, he felt that he had turned a corner and might be able to box again.

Slowly recovering, Streeter returned to his gym in 2019 at the Portland Boxing Club and started working out for his longtime trainer Russo who had known him for decades. He then vowed if he had made it this far in his recovery, he was bound and determined to win a championship and he adopted a new “Comeback Kid” nickname.

“During a training camp, I work six days a week, up to two to three hours of a workout routine,” Streeter said. “I spar, do mitt work, work on strength and conditioning, and can run multiple miles in a week. This is after I’ve already worked a nine-hour shift.”

On Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Portland Expo in Portland, Streeter, 32, fought Joe Farina of Massachusetts for the New England Super Welterweight title at 154 pounds.

Farina entered the bout with a record of 11-1 and the fight went a full eight rounds. It was a tough fight, but Streeter’s strong combinations came out on top, and judges awarded him a majority decision and the championship belt. His record now stands at 11-2-1 and his professional career is back on track.

“What I like the most about boxing is it’s something that helps keep my mental health in check,” he said. “I like the handwork and dedication and my gym family is what I value most.”

Streeter said that he hopes to fight again early in the New Year but in the meantime, he’s enjoying spending time with his family and reflecting on his title. <

Raymond Nurse Anesthetist and Windham RN share experiences on the COVID-19 front line

Melinda Zimmer-Rankin at work in the
ICU at New York Presbyterian Hospital

By Lorraine Glowczak

Although no one gets to escape the challenges we face these days - nurses, doctors, and other health care employees are experiencing a new level of stress, tension and exhaustion as they care for COVID-19 patients.

Raymond Nurse Anesthetist Melinda Zimmer-Rankin is currently working at New York–Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and Windham Registered Nurse Deb Akerley works in the ICU COVID-19 unit at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Both medical professionals took time out of their 12-hour workdays to share their stories because they believe what they have to say will help provide education on the seriousness of the coronavirus that puts our lives and businesses at a stand-still – and permanently ends life for many others.

Akerley has worked as a Registered Nurse for nine years, beginning her career as a Certified Nurses Aid for three years. Both positions, a total of 12 years, were at Maine Med’s Intensive Care Unit. 

Although she states she is good, for the most part, at compartmentalizing the emotional toll that goes with being an ICU Nurse, she admits these last two months have challenged her usual level of energy. “I have realized that by the third 12-hour day, I need a break,” she said.

The good news is the number of COVID-19 patients at Maine Med have remained lower than what the facility and medical staff have prepared for. However, every life is important, and one COVID-19 death is one too many. “By the time people reach the ICU, they are in a very serious condition and must be put on breathing machines,” Akerley explained. “They are usually intubated for two to three weeks and from there, they move onto intermediate care, often requiring various forms of physical, respiratory and occupational therapy – for quite some time.”

Akerley explained that the COVID-19 virus has been a revolving door of learning experiences. “When we discovered that the virus attacked the respiratory system, it wasn’t long until we then discovered it was also compromising other organs and it’s possible that people will eventually develop blood clots due to their lack of mobility from lying in bed so long (despite working with Physical and Occupational Therapists and being turned in bed every two hours)”.

Most of the individuals who are under Akerley’s care have deficient immune systems. Although there are a few young patients who are currently struggling in the ICU, most are over 60 years of age. And, unfortunately, Akeley has witnessed those who have lost their battle against COVID-19.

Deb Akerley at home on one of her days off. She
stated that she feels lucky to have co-workers
who feel like family.

To maintain a sense of calm in such circumstances, Akerley has a support system among her team members. “I am fortunate that my co-workers and I have worked with each other for quite some time and they have become a family to me. We are there for each other – we vent, we cry, we laugh, we eat all the wonderful food donated to the hospital by area restaurants – and we even check in with each other when we aren’t working.”

But perhaps one of the greatest challenges Akerley faces is not while she is working at the hospital. “I haven’t hugged my parents or have had dinner with them, for over two months.” Her father is 84 and her mother is 76.

When asked her perspective of the current COVID-19 situation and prevention, she hopes that people do not stop social distancing. “I hope people do not think that everything is fine. It is far from it and we need to take this virus seriously.”

She does feel fortunate that we live in a state that is not too populated and most likely will not see a peak in aggressive cases if people continue to social distance.

The very populated New York City, on the other hand, has seen more aggressive cases than one could have ever imaged. “Over 12,900 people have died in New York City as of April 28^th and over 160,000 confirmed cases. This does not include those who have not been confirmed due to limited testing. “stated Zimmer-Rankin.

The good news is the numbers and admissions are slowly receding but it’s still overwhelming and there are still very sick people who are trying to survive. “There are still 100s, and 100s and 100s and 100s of people surviving on ventilators in New York,” she said. “It still feels like I am in a war-zone”.

Zimmer-Rankin who works full-time in the operating room at York Hospital in Maine, recently took a leave of absence without pay. Since elective and non-essential surgeries are being temporarily discontinued due fear of COVID-19, and work was not available at the hospital - she felt compelled to continue working. “I could have stayed at home and got paid but I am aware of what the financial backlash for the hospital will be once this is over, so I began looking to see where I could be best utilized in New York City.”

She applied for a nursing position at a traveling nurse organization and was hired immediately, along with 70 other nurses from around the U.S., at Winthrop University Hospital on Long Island, NY. “I would have loved to stay at home but since I already have a studio apartment in New York, I just believed it was something I was called and should do.” Long Island was considered the “hot spot” for COVID-19.

Her beginning experiences on the coronavirus frontline were difficult and taxing, to say the least. The first three days were spent in virtual training. Training, she said, that was inadequate and did not prepare the nurses for beside orientation such as computer access and where needed medical items were stored within the hospital.  

“My assignment was in the COVID positive unit,” Zimmer-Rankin began. “I oversaw 16 patients that were in a conference room converted in an intensive care unit. All patients were intubated and in serious condition. One of my first patients, a man in his early 40s, was the first person I checked in on. I checked all his vitals and they were fine - and he was following commands appropriately. Within an hour, I was doing CPR. He passed away a half hour after that.”

In addition to the stress associated with losing a patient 1 and ½ hours after starting her first shift, other challenges included not being about to sit down during her 12 hour shift, having only a few minutes for lunch and rarely having time for restroom breaks. “What the h… was I thinking,” she wrote on her personal Facebook page three days after her assignment.

Feeling she needed more of a supportive environment, she accepted another job offer from the same organization – this time as a Nurse Practitioner at New York–Presbyterian Hospital. This hospital was closer to her studio apartment, requiring less travel time.

Although still stressful and traumatic for all medical staff, Zimmer-Rankin states that she received more adequate training at the well-known research hospital and now works with the same medical team, often caring for the same patients for three days in a row, all of which makes the job less nerve-wracking. Additionally, the tasks now required of her are much more manageable. “My responsibilities are to assess the patients, look to see if there's been changes within the last 24 hours, manage the vents, the drips, put orders in for everything and make consultations.”

But even in the midst of this harrowing crisis, Zimmer-Rankin has experienced some charming moments within the past six weeks. She recalls the day not long after she began working at New York Presbyterian, she decided to walk home from work. “Rite-Aid had placed flowers outside their doors, and they were free to anyone who needed something to lift them up. I chose the most beautiful orchid because orchid flowers tend to keep their bloom for a long time,” she said. That orchid now sits on her kitchen counter in NYC to remind her that beauty still exists in the world.

Zimmer-Rankin also has her very own, dedicated NYC Uber driver to take her to work in the mornings. “I could easily walk to work, but I like to arrive early – at least by 6 a.m., to study my patients and go over all the charts before my shift begins,” she explained. “My Uber driver speaks little English, but we manage to communicate. He told me that he needs gloves and facemasks to give to his passengers who climb in for a ride and do not wear any protective gear.”

She continued, “He has a young family and wants to keep them safe – while at the same time, making the money they desperately need. We’ve made an arrangement that if he picks me up at the same time every day, I will reach out to my friends who make masks and provide him with those. Only once he was late, and that was because he was wiping down his vehicle from the last drop off. It’s been a perfect passenger/Uber Driver relationship. Last week, I was able to give him six homemade masks. 

So, he only charges me $10 rather than the normal $30 ride that only takes about five minutes.”

And then, of course, there is the food. “There is plenty of food being donated from fabulous restaurants to hospital staff so, needless to say, I'm eating well.”

Although Zimmer-Rankin is still compelled to help others, she admits she is not a savior. “My expectations are that I'm not going to save everyone, but I’m here to provide care in the best compassionate way I am capable. That’s all I can do.”

As for her perception on social distancing measures, she encourages people to self-isolate as much as possible. “Continue to wear a mask and avoid public places where there are large crowds,” she said. “If and when things do open up, continue to use caution and wear a mask – especially for those who have autoimmune disorders, diabetes, asthma, COPD or any other chronic health conditions.  I also encourage people to listen to the advice of Dr. Shah of the Maine CDC.”

Thank you, Melinda Zimmer-Rankin and Deb Akerley, for taking the time to share your experiences, stories and thoughts with our readers.

This article is dedicated to all medical staff and other essential employees, who risk their own lives, to care for the lives of others.