This month’s community hero is none other than Charlie Whitsell. Whether you’ve waved to him on one of his daily morning jaunts around town, challenged him on the bocce courts, shared a cigar or a story at Men’s Club, or been the recipient of something tossed from “the Pineapple King” at the annual Fourth of July Parade, Charlie is synonymous with one thing: a whole lotta love.
Who is Charlie?
Charlie has lived in New Town with his wife, Valerie, and their triplet daughters for 21 years. He was drawn to the community because of the fantastic schools, the walkability of the town, the mixed-use and music-filled vibe of the place, and the fact that everybody knows your name.
As one of the founding board members of the New Town Men’s Club, a group focused on the betterment of the community, he has especially valued the lasting friendships and close connections he has built there, many of whom he now considers family. The procurement of the large movie screen for Summer concerts, the Blues Festivals, horseshoe pits, Father-Daughter Dance, and golf tournament are among some of the club’s accomplishments he is most proud to be a part of.
When asked to describe Charlie in just three words, Steve, a fellow Men’s Club member and friend, simply replied, “very good human.” He also used words like “brother,” and “caring” to describe him. Tim, a longtime friend, said Charlie is the nicest guy and family man he knows. In fact, he joked that he’s never even heard of anyone disliking Charlie- and if you know anything about New Town, that speaks volumes!
Dome Keeper
Besides being renowned for his kindness, generosity, and good will, you may have heard him referred to as the operator of the “dome”, a reference to good-natured neighborhood lore where Charlie serves as the unofficial guardian of good weather. Before storms, people jokingly urge him to “close the dome”- an imaginary weather shield believed to protect the community. If the rain splits or the storm passes by, Charlie gets the credit. It’s a running joke that has become part of New Town’s spirit, and part of his charm as a community fixture. Keep up the good work, Charlie, the storms may keep trying, but so far the dome is winning. Standing with Charlie For all that Charlie has done for the New Town community, he now needs our help.
Charlie is in kidney failure. After an exhaustive battery of tests and trials over the last year and a half, including quadruple bypass heart surgery, he is currently on the transplant list, hoping and praying that a living donor will arise. He recently began daily peritoneal in-home dialysis, and undergoes continuous testing and monitoring. He walks several miles a day, eats a mostly vegetarian diet, and no longer drinks or smokes cigars, so that he can be as healthy and prepared as possible for his surgery and recovery when that day arrives.
Fortunately, Charlie is in good hands as his wife Valerie is a Registered Nurse with 34 years of experience under her belt, which she jokes makes her about 200 years old in nurse years. Unfortunately, she is unable to be a donor, and their daughters are too young. That’s where you could help!
Charlie is looking for a living donor, which is when a healthy person donates one of their working kidneys to someone who needs one. People can live normal, healthy lives with just one! Due to programs like paired donation, you don’t even have to be a direct match for Charlie. If your kidney can help someone else, Charlie receives a compatible kidney from another donor!
What You Can Do
If you are interested in helping Charlie through kidney donation, the first step is completing a simple, confidential 5-10 minute screening. There is no obligation, and you can visit Charlie’s own kidney donation website, charlieneedsakidney.com, for more information about this life-saving process and about Charlie himself. He also has a Facebook page titled “Charlie’s Kidney Transplant Journey.”
Final Thoughts
Charlie says that a positive attitude, love from his family and friends, and the healing power of God will get him through this bump in the road. Even the honks and waves from his neighbors as he walks the streets of New Town give him a little more hope and have truly touched his heart. He wants people to know that if anyone in the community is going through something similar, feeling a little anxiety, and needs a shoulder to cry on, he wants to offer them the same comfort and encouragement he has received. Let’s “close the dome” on Charlie’s kidney troubles and see if we can find him a donor! Please visit and share his website, and help spread the word throughout the community and beyond.
https://charlieneedsakidney.com/
https://www.facebook.com/charlietransplant