Manute Bol recovering from kidney failure, SJS
June 15th, 2010 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Retired NBA player Manute Bol is in stable condition and friends and family members are optimistic that he will recover from kidney failure and a rare skin condition, Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), both of which drove him to a Virginia hospital last month. Bol was returning to the United States after spending several months in his hometown of Sudan, where he was building a school through the group Sudan Sunrise. According to Bol’s Facebook page, he became ill and developed a rash after taking medication.
Bol delayed seeking medical attention for his symptoms because he wanted to continue his work in Sudan. But his health continued to deteriorate and he had no choice but to return stateside. He had arrived in Dulles and was awaiting a flight to his home in Kansas when he was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with kidney failure and SJS.
SJS is a severe reaction to medication that covers the body and mucous membranes in blisters and sores. The condition can be fatal. More than 2,000 medications have been associated with SJS.
Bol has been bedridden since he was admitted to the hospital on May 14. He has undergone surgeries to remove his gallbladder and a gallstone, and to stem some bleeding. The condition has weakened the 7-foot 7-inch former ballplayer and currently he is unable to walk. If there is any consolation for Bol, the Sudan Sunrise executive director Rev. Tom Pritchard told NBA.com, it is knowing that he has made a difference in his hometown of Sudan.
“He was in Sudan for the schools but he really stayed because of the election in April,” Pritchard said. “The president of southern Sudan asked him please to stay. He is revered by the southern Sudanese … when Manute got back to the states he said ‘we did it.’ He kind of felt putting his own life on the line was worth it, because he got the result he was looking for in the election.”