In the world of professional wrestling, when a villain changes sides and becomes a hero, it is known as a “turn.”
It is often caused by a change of heart in the wrestler, who, seeing the error of their ways, embarks on a new career path as a champion for the cause of righteousness.
But for “The Black Heart” Vinnie Valentine, the most despised heel (villain) manager in all of Pure Power Wrestling, it isn’t a change of heart.
It’s a kidney.
Vinnie Valentine is the larger-than-life wrestling persona of local resident Ryan Pollard. And the two couldn’t be less alike. Valentine is a loudmouthed, rude, egotistical jerk who delights in screaming at PPW audiences to “SHUT UP!” Ryan, on the other hand, is a quiet, humble, gentle person who was raised to always try to do right by family and friends.
In August, Pollard will be stepping away from PPW for a few months in order to donate a kidney to his son, Ryley.
“I’m so proud to be able to give that to him,” Ryan said. “He’s going to be the young man he was always meant to be,” he said. “With the life he should have.”
Ryley was born months premature and suffered a number of health issues as a result. With a birthweight of just 1,050 grams, he suffered immediate and drastic health issues.
“He actually passed away twice, and they brought him back to life,” said Ryan.
With heart issues taking priority, it was felt Ryley’s kidneys could be dealt with at a later time. Doctors told Ryan his son would be small, and at some point would stop growing.
They also told him a kidney transplant would be needed in the future, but that it might not happen until Ryley was in his 20s.
Instead, it started in his teens.
“It obviously worsened a lot faster than anyone thought,” Ryan said.
When Ryley’s kidney function dropped to 20 per cent, it was time for him to begin the transplant process.
A blood test revealed that Ryan and Ryley shared a blood type, and testing to establish compatibility began in earnest.
They made it through that testing and were deemed compatible for transplant, although there were some snags along the way.
“There were a few things that hindered it,” Ryan said. “There was blood in my urine because of wrestling.
“Going through tables didn’t help anything. Doing a (battle royale) match and getting thrown out didn’t help anything.
“I’m no doctor. I didn’t realize I was doing any harm to my kidneys. I just love to wrestle.”
Ryan thought he was working smart, and protecting his kidneys from the bumps and strains of professional wrestling.
“When I was taking bumps, I would try to hit on my lower back, thinking it would be OK,” he said.
The presence of blood delayed the process by months.
For followup testing, Ryan thought he would be cautious and did his urine test before an upcoming PPW event. But he had forgotten to take into account the practice he had put in through the week.
“It didn’t dawn on me I’d hurt my kidneys in that way,” he said.
“Of course, I do my testing, and once again I had blood in my urine.
“Now, my surgeon wants to see me to see what is up with all of this stuff.”
Ryan was told he needed to stay away from wrestling if he was going to be kidney stress-free for the required length of time. Stepping out of the ring was more difficult than he imagined it would be.
“I love my sport, and I love my son, too,” he said. “It was hard.”
One of the hardest moments came when a date for the procedure was finally set. Until that point, the surgery had been a vague spot on the horizon.
Eventually, it just came down to a simple “yes” or “no.”
“That was a big day,” Ryan said. “It was a very stressful day.”
“When we got the date of Aug. 14, it just became very surreal. I was in tears. I had to stop a few times because it was overwhelming. I couldn’t believe it was actually happening.
“My son is going to have a better life.”
Ryan works for McDonald’s and for the Ability Resource Centre, and said both companies have been very accommodating to the process.
“It takes a lot of stress off me knowing I can get time off when I ask them for it,” he said.
He and Ryley have also received a lot of support from his PPW family.
“The guys here at PPW are amazing,” Ryan said. “They took in my son, and they treat him like one of their own.
“It’s really good for him because he feels like one of the boys.”
Ryley fills numerous important roles for PPW — from collecting gear from ringside at the start of matches to acting as a gopher for anything that might come up during the course of an event.
“It gives him that self-esteem and is really good for him,” Ryan said. “Every boy needs that to reassure them of who they are and what they are. These guys are amazing. They harass him and joke around, and he loves it.”
“It’s been a dream come true,” Ryley said. “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a part of wrestling. When I was little, my dad brought me to Pure Power, and I grew up and part of the family now. That makes me feel good.”
He said while he is a little nervous, he is optimistic about the process and looking forward to how his life will be changed after it happens.
“It feels good to know my dad is looking out for me,” said Ryley.
“I think it will be fine,” he said. “I love hospitals.”
He said he is looking most forward to being able to play basketball once he is all healed up. It’s something he was unable to do before.
“I’ll be able to run up and down the court now,” he said.
Ryan said he hopes more people will consider the possibility of being a living kidney donor, as the need in Canada is great.
“Not everyone is able to do it,” he said. “But I strongly urge people to donate. It’s something that will last with you forever.
“There are a lot of people out there who need kidneys. There’s a waiting list.”
It is often caused by a change of heart in the wrestler, who, seeing the error of their ways, embarks on a new career path as a champion for the cause of righteousness.
But for “The Black Heart” Vinnie Valentine, the most despised heel (villain) manager in all of Pure Power Wrestling, it isn’t a change of heart.
It’s a kidney.
Vinnie Valentine is the larger-than-life wrestling persona of local resident Ryan Pollard. And the two couldn’t be less alike. Valentine is a loudmouthed, rude, egotistical jerk who delights in screaming at PPW audiences to “SHUT UP!” Ryan, on the other hand, is a quiet, humble, gentle person who was raised to always try to do right by family and friends.
In August, Pollard will be stepping away from PPW for a few months in order to donate a kidney to his son, Ryley.
“I’m so proud to be able to give that to him,” Ryan said. “He’s going to be the young man he was always meant to be,” he said. “With the life he should have.”
Ryley was born months premature and suffered a number of health issues as a result. With a birthweight of just 1,050 grams, he suffered immediate and drastic health issues.
“He actually passed away twice, and they brought him back to life,” said Ryan.
With heart issues taking priority, it was felt Ryley’s kidneys could be dealt with at a later time. Doctors told Ryan his son would be small, and at some point would stop growing.
They also told him a kidney transplant would be needed in the future, but that it might not happen until Ryley was in his 20s.
Instead, it started in his teens.
“It obviously worsened a lot faster than anyone thought,” Ryan said.
When Ryley’s kidney function dropped to 20 per cent, it was time for him to begin the transplant process.
A blood test revealed that Ryan and Ryley shared a blood type, and testing to establish compatibility began in earnest.
They made it through that testing and were deemed compatible for transplant, although there were some snags along the way.
“There were a few things that hindered it,” Ryan said. “There was blood in my urine because of wrestling.
“Going through tables didn’t help anything. Doing a (battle royale) match and getting thrown out didn’t help anything.
“I’m no doctor. I didn’t realize I was doing any harm to my kidneys. I just love to wrestle.”
Ryan thought he was working smart, and protecting his kidneys from the bumps and strains of professional wrestling.
“When I was taking bumps, I would try to hit on my lower back, thinking it would be OK,” he said.
The presence of blood delayed the process by months.
For followup testing, Ryan thought he would be cautious and did his urine test before an upcoming PPW event. But he had forgotten to take into account the practice he had put in through the week.
“It didn’t dawn on me I’d hurt my kidneys in that way,” he said.
“Of course, I do my testing, and once again I had blood in my urine.
“Now, my surgeon wants to see me to see what is up with all of this stuff.”
Ryan was told he needed to stay away from wrestling if he was going to be kidney stress-free for the required length of time. Stepping out of the ring was more difficult than he imagined it would be.
“I love my sport, and I love my son, too,” he said. “It was hard.”
One of the hardest moments came when a date for the procedure was finally set. Until that point, the surgery had been a vague spot on the horizon.
Eventually, it just came down to a simple “yes” or “no.”
“That was a big day,” Ryan said. “It was a very stressful day.”
“When we got the date of Aug. 14, it just became very surreal. I was in tears. I had to stop a few times because it was overwhelming. I couldn’t believe it was actually happening.
“My son is going to have a better life.”
Ryan works for McDonald’s and for the Ability Resource Centre, and said both companies have been very accommodating to the process.
“It takes a lot of stress off me knowing I can get time off when I ask them for it,” he said.
He and Ryley have also received a lot of support from his PPW family.
“The guys here at PPW are amazing,” Ryan said. “They took in my son, and they treat him like one of their own.
“It’s really good for him because he feels like one of the boys.”
Ryley fills numerous important roles for PPW — from collecting gear from ringside at the start of matches to acting as a gopher for anything that might come up during the course of an event.
“It gives him that self-esteem and is really good for him,” Ryan said. “Every boy needs that to reassure them of who they are and what they are. These guys are amazing. They harass him and joke around, and he loves it.”
“It’s been a dream come true,” Ryley said. “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a part of wrestling. When I was little, my dad brought me to Pure Power, and I grew up and part of the family now. That makes me feel good.”
He said while he is a little nervous, he is optimistic about the process and looking forward to how his life will be changed after it happens.
“It feels good to know my dad is looking out for me,” said Ryley.
“I think it will be fine,” he said. “I love hospitals.”
He said he is looking most forward to being able to play basketball once he is all healed up. It’s something he was unable to do before.
“I’ll be able to run up and down the court now,” he said.
Ryan said he hopes more people will consider the possibility of being a living kidney donor, as the need in Canada is great.
“Not everyone is able to do it,” he said. “But I strongly urge people to donate. It’s something that will last with you forever.
“There are a lot of people out there who need kidneys. There’s a waiting list.”
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