By Catholic Stewardship Consultants
www.CatholicSteward.com
Deacon Craig Camello is awaiting a kidney transplant — a reality that has brought uncertainty, long timelines and unexpected setbacks. Through it all, he remains steady in faith, trusting that God is present in each step of the journey.
As he approaches the possibility of dialysis and waits for a donor match, Deacon Camello focuses not on what may come, but on the grace of the present moment.
“You live every day as what God has given you,” he says. “It’s the present. You can’t see what next week will bring.”
Ordained in 2018, Deacon Camello has served the faithful of the Diocese of Honolulu for several years, most recently at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Kailua-Kona. Over time, the kidney disease he has monitored for decades gradually progressed, and he was recently placed on the transplant waiting list.
There was a hopeful moment when his younger brother immediately offered to donate.
“Why not? You’re my brother,” he told Deacon Camello.
After committing to the process, his brother even lost 30 pounds to qualify for donation. But further testing revealed an enlarged right ventricle, making him ineligible to move forward.
Though he was disappointed, Deacon Camello sees God’s providence even in that setback. The testing uncovered a health concern his brother might not otherwise have known about.
“He was quite sad and apologetic,” Deacon Camello says. “I told him, ‘Don’t be sorry. This is good news for you. You found something you probably wouldn’t have known if you didn’t do what you did.’”
With his blood type, Deacon Camello has been told it could take up to eight years to receive a kidney from a deceased donor. In the meantime, he is prayerfully considering all options, including living donation.
Healthy individuals can live full lives with one kidney. Those who are not a direct match might still be able to donate through a paired exchange program.
“You might not be the right fit for me, but you could donate to someone else,” Deacon Camello says. “And that opens the window for someone else to become my donor.”
For those discerning donation, the process begins with an online health assessment, followed by blood type testing and comprehensive medical and psychological evaluations.
Donors must be in good health, and transplant teams carefully evaluate each step to ensure safety.
“Everyone can survive on one kidney,” Deacon Camello says. “My wife’s classmate had one kidney removed because it looked cancerous. He’s functioning on one kidney — no medication — because his kidney is operating at the capacity it should.”
Above all, Deacon Camello asks for continued prayers from the faithful across the islands and assures them of his own.
His journey is one of waiting — but also of trust. Even in uncertainty, he remains confident that God is at work.
Above: Deacon Craig and Pam Camello. (Courtesy Catholic Stewardship Consultants)