JESSUP, Pa. — Russell Canevari spends his days inside the Jessup VFW Post 5544, as he has for nearly 50 years.
"No sooner did I get home from Vietnam, my father marched me over here, and I joined," recalls Canevari.
It's a place that has become a safe haven as he learned to live with the PTSD from serving in Vietnam. It's a place where he has dedicated his life to helping other veterans as the post commander for nearly 30 years, gaining the title in 1955.
"We all would meet here on certain nights. We would never talk much about Vietnam; we know what was on everyone else's mind," he recalled.
Canevari was sent to Vietnam after he was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1968, but nearly 56 years later, he's still fighting that same battle.
Canevari is in stage-five kidney failure linked to Agent Orange. Agent Orange is the tactical herbicide used throughout the Vietnam War, now linked to numerous health problems for those exposed to it.
Now, Canevari is in search of a kidney donor after the one he had backed out.
"It was a very good friend of mine who moved to Florida, and he changed his mind. So, for seven months, I was getting one, and two weeks ago, on a Wednesday, he said he regrets he couldn't do it. So, I'm at square one right now," Canevari explained.
Canevari has been waiting on Geisinger's transplant list since September. He says he doesn't qualify for the VA's transplant list because of his age.
"I'm upset with the VA simply because, if they said age was a factor, why did they put me through all of these tests? And to my knowledge, I passed all the tests," he said.
Canevari's kidneys are functioning at just 10 percent. He says he's expected to start dialysis soon after pushing it off as long as possible to be able to continue his work with the VFW. It's a reminder of his sacrifice that's lasted much longer than his time overseas.
"It looks like it's just around the corner. I choose to have my dialysis at my house because that gives me a little more liberty to do what I to do here and do what I do for the state of Pennsylvania," he said." I want to keep active to keep my mind going."
A lifetime of service to our country that goes above and beyond the call for duty.
If you're interested in being tested to help Canevari- you can call Geisinger's transplant coordinator at 1-877-821-8613 or 570-271-6214. You may also contact the Jessup VFW Post 5544 at 570-489-7070.