Alonzo Mourning: Taking charge of our health is the best medicine

A routine medical checkup has saved my life twice now. In 2000, a regular visit to the Miami Heat’s team doctor revealed, very unexpectedly, that I had a rare form of chronic kidney disease. And in early 2024, after more than two decades of being more proactive and taking care of my overall health following my kidney transplant, routine blood tests led me to discover that I had Stage 3 prostate cancer, despite no obvious symptoms.

In both cases, I acted quickly and was able to address potential major medical issues before they became more serious. Today, I am 21 years post-transplant, cancer-free, healthy and thriving. Taking care of my personal health remains a top priority, however, I have also turned my attention to encouraging others to prioritize their health by raising awareness of my experiences.

I understand — being proactive about our health is not easy; life gets in the way. For a long time, my topmost priority was the game of basketball. Nothing was more important than being at the top of my game and playing, and living, like a champion. I trained six hours per day and played more than 80 three-hour games every year.

However, in the early 2000s, I started feeling strangely lethargic. Not only was I mentally and physically exhausted, but I also had significant swelling in my legs and feet. It was only because of a required visit to our team doctor that I spoke in-depth about my symptoms and ultimately discovered that I had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a form of chronic kidney disease.

I was terrified, mostly because I knew nothing about this disease or what might happen to me. I was also frustrated with myself for ignoring the symptoms at first. I would later learn that my condition was genetic, caused by two inherited variants in the gene APOL1, which are found in people of African ancestry around the world.

The family of disorders caused by APOL1 genetic variants is known as APOL1-mediated kidney disease, or more commonly known as AMKD. An estimated 13% of men and women in the United States who identify as Black or African American carry the two variants of the APOL1 gene and, therefore, are at much higher risk of developing AMKD2. In addition, those diagnosed with AMKD progress to kidney failure faster than other kidney disease patients. My case required a kidney transplant, which I fortunately was able to undergo in 2003 and, after recuperating, went on to help the Miami Heat win the NBA Championship in 2006.

Since my kidney disease diagnosis, being an active kidney health advocate and raising awareness of AMKD has become my mission. In 2024, that focus expanded, when I learned at a regularly scheduled checkup with my doctor that my prostate-specific antigen (or PSA) screening scores were elevated. After an MRI and a biopsy, I received a definitive diagnosis of Stage 3 prostate cancer. Again, I was fortunate: the cancer had not yet spread, and I was able to undergo surgery to remove my prostate and consequently, the disease. For the second time, a routine medical checkup saved my life.

Today, my focus is multifold, yet it does have a central theme: encouraging and empowering others to prioritize their health — with particular emphasis for Black Americans like me. Men and women of African ancestry are four to five times more likely to develop kidney failure compared to white Americans, and Black men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the U.S. and are more likely to experience longer delays between diagnosis and treatment.

We recognize the deeply rooted and long history of racism and bias in medicine in the U.S., and how that has led to the distrust of the health care system among Black adults. For many of us in the Black community, that bias remains stubbornly pervasive, making it more important than ever to talk to your family and other loved ones to create a proactive health plan and support system.

These realities underscore the importance of being advocates for our own health, and this starts by simply having conversations with those we trust and love the most. I’m grateful that in a world where it’s often taboo to talk about family health history and health concerns, my own experiences — challenging as they have been — have granted me a platform to do just that. In collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, I helped to launch our Power Forward AMKD awareness campaign (www.PowerForwardTogether.com), where visitors can learn more about this genetic form of kidney disease, how to be proactive about your kidney health, read a doctor discussion guide and learn about various genetic testing options. Prostate cancer also has genetic risk factors, and the American Cancer Society offers information on genetic testing and counseling for prostate cancer risk.

Having these important and critical conversations and taking care of your health can be complicated and often uncomfortable, especially at a time when many of us already feel nervous about engaging with the health care system. But there is nothing more important than looking after your health and the health of the people you love. Ask questions. Be your own best advocate. And know that educating yourself about potential medical issues early, even though it may feel overwhelming, can also make a world of difference. I owe my life to being proactive about my health and having an amazing team of loved ones and providers who have helped me along my journey. There’s power in being proactive and taking charge of your health — I’m living proof.