Glynn Sheridan, president of Sunflower Bank, received a kidney from his niece, Dr. Mali Thompson Ballard, in 2005.

2010 is an extra-special year for Glynn Sheridan, president of Sunflower Bank in Lawrence. He’ll celebrate two important birthdays: the big five-O and the fifth anniversary of his new life.

Sheridan, who inherited polycystic kidney disease, received a kidney from his niece, Dr. Mali Thompson Ballard, on May 23, 2005.

“I know we’re all blessed, but sometimes we don’t truly appreciate that until we face some of life’s scarier events,” Sheridan says.

His grandfather and father struggled with (and eventually died from) kidney disease, so Sheridan, a Salina native, wasn’t too shocked when he received the same diagnosis as a 22-year-old Kansas University student.

“The doctors knew my family history, so they were on the lookout for symptoms,” Sheridan says.

“I started taking blood pressure medication and received a lot of encouragement and reassurance from my father,” he says. “He reminded me about the tremendous advances taking place in medicine, especially the transplant field, and told me I’d be offered a better chance for a good quality of life.”

In spite of the disease’s progression, Sheridan graduated from KU after studying business, psychology and political science, completed internships with the Kansas Department of Transportation and the state Senate, and worked in the insurance field for two years before joining First National Bank of Lawrence in 1986. He graduated from Rockhurst College with an MBA in 1989.

“The banking profession suited me,” Sheridan says. “It enabled me to earn good money and go back to school at night to further my education.”

He moved to Sunflower Bank in 2002 and started dialysis in 2003. In spite of increasing health problems, Sheridan supervised the building of the bank’s new site on Wakarusa Drive, and he interviewed, appointed and trained staff for its 2003 opening.

“It was challenging,” he says. “When you have a long, slow progression of a disease, you don’t often recognize the decline in health so much. I just adjusted as I faced each stage.”

He was eventually placed on the transplant list, and his niece Mali offered to be a living donor.

“She’d seen her grandfather die of this disease and said she wanted her uncle to stay around to see her children,” says Sheridan, overcome with emotion.

“I was more afraid for her than myself. I worried that she could become ill and that it might affect her ability to have children. She had her whole life in front of her.”

In spite of his reservations, Mali persisted. Their kidneys were a perfect match. The successful transplant was performed at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., in May 2005. Within hours of waking from the surgery, he felt amazingly healthy. Mali recovered well and is married with a child. In 2007, Sheridan had 38 pounds of diseased kidneys removed and was thrilled to feel his rib cage for the first time in many years.

“When someone gives you a gift of this magnitude, every day is a blessing,” Sheridan says. “I hope I can honor this gift and be an inspiration to others and never take it for granted. I owe Mali more than ever can be repaid.”