We were deeply saddened to hear of Mr. Bill Detenbeck’s passing on December 18, 2006, at the age of 77 years. He was very active in and contributed much to the local Port Colborne community during his lifetime. His optimism, determination and sense of humour was an inspiration to those who had the pleasure of meeting and working with him. Bill Detenbeck was an enthusiastic supporter of our fundraising campaign, and his family asks that his story continue to be told as they feel it would be his wish to continue to support efforts to ensure new regional services and local hospital improvements are made. In 2006, Bill shared his story with us.

The only fever Bill Detenbeck ever wanted to catch was “three foot fever”— the catchy “bug” known to avid boaters wanting to acquire bigger and faster power boats.

He caught a fever of a different kind in January 2003, when a routine trip to the dentist took a turn for the worst for the Port Colborne retiree. An infection took hold following a minor dental procedure. “At the time it didn’t occur to me that it was any big deal. Within a week I landed in the Port Colborne hospital site’s critical care unit. I was hanging off heaven’s pearly gates,” recalls Bill. Despite a 40-year history of diabetes, Bill’s health had been great through the years. “I never had any problems until I had to have a quadruple by-pass 10 or so years ago. At the time, 10 years ago, they told me to make sure I took antibiotics if I had to have dental work done. I had felt so good for so long that it just didn’t occur to me. Going to the dentist wasn’t supposed to be a big deal.”

The infection caused complications and Bill’s kidneys failed. He spent weeks in a St. Catharines hospital attached to a dialysis machine that took over the vital job of purifying his blood of body wastes and toxins. Bill pulled through to face a future of three trips each week from Port Colborne to St. Catharines for four to five hours of hemodialysis care.

Known far and wide across Port Colborne as a vibrant and active man, for two years Bill and his late wife Lois made multiple trips across the peninsula for his hemodialysis treatment. His travel burden was greatly relieved in 2005 when the Niagara Health System opened the Welland Hospital Site dialysis centre to serve patients from the south peninsula much closer home.

“It’s a relief not having to travel up and down that highway. It makes a big difference.” For three days every week, five hours a shift, Bill puts in his time at his regular dialysis station in Welland. This father, grandfather and great-grandfather likens his treatment routine to having to go to work at a part-time job.

Bill credits the support he gets from his family, friends and care team as well as his positive outlook on life and sense of humour as critical factors in getting him through. "You can't let it hold you back. You just can't."