‘I’m not done yet’: Longtime Banff resident searches for a living kidney donor

He’s easy to spot, even along the sidewalks spilling over with tourists and amongst the crush of holiday traffic.

In the summer it’s usually on an unmistakable cherry red Townie.

When there’s snow on the ground, he opts for his burliest bike — the one with the fat, studded tires.

“I have six bikes, an entire fleet. I can bike in all kinds of conditions,” said longtime Banffite Dave Millard.  His bike is his primary mode of transportation.

“Good exercise, don’t have to pay for gas or parking,” said Millard. But he admits the benefits of biking stretch beyond the perimeters of convenience.  “It’s a big outlet… a sense of freedom,” he added.

Millard has spent the majority of his life in the mountain town.

He retired from a lifelong career with Parks Canada but still volunteers his time, helping to groom trails, shovel sidewalks and care for his neighbours.

The freedom he and those who depend on him have enjoyed though, is being compromised by a disease that has no cure.

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Millard has been living with polycystic kidney disease, the same disease believed to have taken the life of his father when he was just three years of age.

“My mom said they came home from dancing one night, my grandma was taking care of me and he died in the living room.

A doctor lived across the street, he came over and he was dead,” said Millard, who has very little memory of his father but has never stopped wondering about him.

His dad was only 33-years-old and had no idea about his condition.  Millard is now twice his age, but diet, medication and regular blood tests have made it manageable.

“I really haven’t slowed down in my lifestyle. I’m athletic, my diet has become more boring,” he said. “I drink about eight litres of fluid, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Last March, during a visit with his specialist in Calgary, he got the update he’s been dreading to hear.

“He said the time has come — my efficiency had decreased to the point where I was getting close to requiring dialysis and requiring a transplant.” said Mallard. ” I really don’t want to have to do dialysis. Weather conditions, expense and time, that would change my lifestyle completely.”

There are currently no dialysis machines in Bow Valley.  Four times a week, up to 12 people need to drive as far away as Lake Louise for the life-saving treatment.

“It’s super arduous,” admitted Margie Smith, site administrator at Banff Mineral Springs Hospital.

There is a push to bring the machines to Banff, and a study is planned to explore if it can be feasible for the area.

“We are very much in the preliminary stages of it right now but it’s something that’s super exciting to me because I know it has such a huge impact on folks here in the Bow Valley,” said Smith.

Millard is on the hunt for a living donor to match his B-positive blood type.

A close friend offered him one of her kidneys, but following a barrage of tests it was determined incompatible.

He now has to find someone to ultimately help save his life.

“I’m putting myself out there and that’s not really my style, but the alternative isn’t so good so here I am,” he said.

Millard credits his dedicated friend group spanning decades and his partner for helping him to stay positive and push through the uncertainty.

He’s hopeful the day will come when he will find a match.

“I have a lot of things I want to keep doing. I’m not done yet,”

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