Local man with kidney disease living to inspire others

Life is a constant battle for one Gulfport man struggling to fight kidney disease. Even though the disease has stolen his ability to walk, the 67-year-old isn’t letting anything stand in his way from inspiring others in the community.
“Live for today” is a phrase 67-year-old Gulfport resident Jimmy Dyees knows all too well. After losing a brother and a nephew to kidney disease and then being diagnosed himself, Dyees got a cold reminder that his days here are numbered. “I’m not able to walk.”
After an extremely high blood pressure rate sent Dyees to the emergency room, doctors diagnosed him with kidney disease. “My heart rate was so high. He said ‘Mr. Jimmy, one more time like this and you’re not going to be here.”
It’s now been 18 years since Dyees was diagnosed. The battle with kidney disease has caused Dyees to lose his ability to walk and has forced him to sacrifice his independence. “The main thing I miss is providing for her.”
Three times a week, Dyees will come to Gulfport to get treatment and even though dialysis is crucial for his survival now, he says it is his mind set that gets him by. “Put in your mind what you have to do to live, to be here, you will do it.”
Dyees doesn’t let his condition stop him from trying to move others away from the dangers of kidney disease. These days you can catch him wheeling through the community helping neighbors stay aware of the disease’s symptoms. “Keep your blood pressure low and all under control. Once you get it there, it’s there.”
And living life by a new motto: “If people learn not to give up and take life serious, they’ll stay here longer.”