The Luke Clontz story

Luke Clontz was diagnosed with a major depression disorder following the death of his father, Dr. Luther Clontz, in April 2009.

Having just begun his freshman year at UNC Charlotte, Luke returned home to be at his father’s bedside for the last two months of his life.

Dr. Clontz had been battling renal failure for five years. The family supported his brave decision to stop dialysis, but knowing the ultimate outcome. Dr. Clontz passed away at home, as was his wish, surrounded by family.

Later that year, Luke admitted to his mother, Laura, that the pain of losing his dad and his deep depression had led him to become addicted to opioids.

Laura, an experienced nurse, worked quickly to get him professional medical help through psychiatrists and other mental health resources.

Luke then went on to complete his education at UNC-Charlotte in 2015 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree with the support of family, friends, and church family along with the good medical care.

Luke has now been free from opioid addiction for 16 years.

In comes COVID

Due to the economic turndown related to the epidemic, Luke lost his job in the fall of 2020. His beloved black lab had recently been euthanized due to cancer. Mom Laura’s time and attention was consumed working early morning hours and late evening hours (in addition to normal working hours) with COVID-related tasks in her nursing job.

She was unaware that Luke had turned to alcohol consumption to “self-medicate.” Luke admits, “I had heard of people having liver damage, but only after a lifetime of having a drinking problem. I never imagined it could happen so quickly.”

“I did not realize the extent of his problem,” Laura relates, “Until I was calling Burke EMS to transport Luke to UNC-Health Blue Ridge Morganton just prior to the Thanksgiving holidays.”

By that time, Luke was in liver and renal failure. At that stage, the doctors were not able to give them much hope for his recovery. Both UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University hospitals were consulted for immediate transfer.

On Luke’s 32nd birthday, Dec. 10, a space became available at UNC-CH. Laura remembers a harrowing three-hour drive following the EMS ambulance in torrential rain, with her having to pull over on the road multiple times to take calls from admitting physicians while she struggled to get to Chapel Hill in the downpour.

When she arrived, she was met by three physicians in the dark corner of a holding bay with two other patients. Luke’s status was critical. He was comatose and his liver disease MELD score was rising to dangerous levels.

Laura relates: “I thanked the physicians for accepting Luke as a referral patient and asked them to please do the best they could to help him,” adding that, “Myself, family members, and countless numbers of friends from church, work, and our neighborhood were holding them and Luke in fervent prayer.”

A candlelight vigil was held for Luke in the prayer garden of his church, First Baptist of Morganton on a dark December evening a few days later. It was organized by family friend, Chasity Rice.

I remember attending this outpouring of support. It was a distinctly moving experience with each person expressing words of encouragement and hope, happy reflections of Luke and Laura that brought smiles in the darkness, and a group prayer for Luke’s healing.

Miracle on Manning Street (The Chapel Hill Hospital address)

Luke survived that night. Laura was introduced to the Hepatology and Nephrology physicians, then the Liver Transplant Team. Their family received word nine days later that Luke had been placed on the Liver Transplant Recipient Registry.

Three days after that Laura got a call that a potential liver was available. After consulting with Luke, she signed the paperwork to proceed.

A day later the transplant surgeon performed a 12-hour surgery, removing Luke’s liver and placing the donor’s liver into Luke’s body. Laura declares, “We now consider Luke’s new birthday to be Dec. 23, 2021.”

A second surgery was required three days later to remove packing from Luke’s abdomen and examine a possible splenectomy. The spleen was not bleeding, and the abdomen was closed with sutures and staples in place.

Luke has limited memory of all this but does remember the difficult recovery process: “I awoke with a new liver, but because of the severity of my condition I was in renal failure and had to receive dialysis. I had to relearn how to walk, because I also suffered from avascular necrosis (death of bone tissue due to loss of blood) in both hips and shoulders. I have had my left hip replaced and will eventually have to have the other hip and both shoulders replaced. I also have stage 3 chronic kidney disease, for which I am currently on the transplant list, although inactive status because of current good health. I have been on numerous trips to Chapel Hill for doctor’s visits (almost monthly for years) and have been hospitalized due to complications.”

Looking ahead with determination and hope

Luke reflects on his harrowing journey of recovery, physical therapy, and admits, “The hardest part was coming to terms with the fact that I almost died because of my actions and with the fact it will impact the rest of my life. The immunosuppressant medication I have to take for the rest of my life as a transplant recipient can have many challenging side effects as well, but I am so very thankful for this second chance at life.”

An Opportunity

Luke is sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Monday, Nov. 3, at the First Baptist Church of Morganton fellowship hall, 502 W. Union St., to raise awareness about the organ transplants as well as the need for blood donations.

The drive will be from 2:30-7:30 p.m. Registration for appointments can be made at the American Red Cross website.