Point S employee triumphs despite transplant

PORTLAND, Ore. — This is a story about perseverance, determination and success, the proverbial triumph over tragedy for one young man.

That individual, Michael Vue, resumed work in general services at Sandy Blvd Point S in Portland less than three months after receiving a kidney transplant, a testament to Mr. Vue and the medical team that oversaw his recovery.

But this is as much a story about the culture at a tire and automotive service shop, its hiring practices and the support among fellow employees that can push a shop to loftier heights. And it's a journey that bears repeating.

The story begins in July 2019, when Mr. Vue applied for a job with Sandy Blvd Point S, one of four Point S shops operated by Mark Cushing in Oregon and Washington.

Mr. Vue came to the shop that day essentially with two goals in mind: One, land a job with the dealership; and two, be transparent about his ongoing fight with kidney failure.

And that wasn't necessarily the order of those goals.

Mr. Vue, 27, needed some flexibility in his schedule because of his worsening condition: He needed time to accommodate dialysis three days a week, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

"I was straight-forward with every employer that I applied with," Mr. Vue said. "I told them I had kidney failure: This is my schedule. If you can't work with it, it's totally understandable.

"I believe if you're honest up front, it gets a lot of things out of the way."

Brett Baumgarte, the store's general manager, sensed something different about this applicant, mostly about his attitude. Positivity seemed to emanate from his smile.

"I knew (hiring Mr. Vue) would be a piece of the puzzle I needed to fix some things that had kind of gotten away," Mr. Baumgarte said. "His personality is a big part of it."

Mr. Baumgarte said the conversation with Mr. Vue during the interview process convinced him that he was the right person not only for the job, but also for his shop.

"This young man told me what he went through and continued to go through," Mr. Baumgarte said. "It was progressively getting to the point where it was getting worse. So I knew he was going through all the these things, and he was still this positive young man. We needed that. We needed that for shop.

"Every shop, I believe, needs that. You need somebody with this type of person in it, and that's why I gave it a go. I knew he could do the job. You know what? If some things got in the way, he had to go to his appointments. That was fine with me."

Mr. Cushing, the dealership's owner, said his management team talks routinely "about how to surround ourselves with the people that will follow and contribute to our business plan. A big part of our plan is to deliver an exceptional customer experience, so we want to make sure we employ people who can do that."

Mr. Vue's work schedule was not a concern for the employer.

"We always felt the positives outweigh some of non-traditional schedule we might have to accommodate for Mike," Mr. Cushing said. "And it's worked out well for us."

Indeed. The impact almost was immediate, not only for Mr. Vue but for the shop as well.

"He does a great job with our customers and cars; he can do all of that," Mr. Baumgarte said. "But he is a glue piece to the culture of our shop."

What exactly did he bring to the shop?

"I never heard him raise his voice," Mr. Baumgarte said. "I've never heard him say something negative about somebody. I've never been in a situation where I thought he was wrong."

For upwards of three days each week, Mr. Vue would report to work. Then he would make the trek to dialysis. The process would be done at 2 a.m.; he would drive home, catch a few hours sleep and drive another half-hour to 45 minutes to return to work the next day.

"Sometimes, he'd come to work at 8 a.m.," Mr. Baumgarte said, "and if I needed him, sometimes 7 a.m. He would get five hours of sleep — maybe — because of the travel times."

Mr. Vue described his work family as "amazing and really understanding."

"They understood I couldn't do certain things," he said. "They understood when I was exhausted. They knew what my schedule was."

The story, of course, doesn't end there. The pandemic provided a strange, but in many ways, positive twist to the plot.

Less than nine months after being hired, Mr. Vue was among seven from a staff of 11 who were furloughed in March 2020.

It was a blessing in disguise.

With a highly compromised immune system, Mr. Vue was susceptible to any disease, especially one as life-threatening as COVID-19.

"My doctor advised me not to go anywhere unless it was absolutely necessary," Mr. Vue said. "So I was pretty much homebound. She told me the chances of me getting COVID and surviving were pretty slim since I had no immune system. So I was like, 'Yeah, I'll definitely stay home and wait until things get better.' "

Mr. Vue had spent plenty of time over the last decade, agonizing about his condition. He had been diagnosed with kidney failure in late April 2010, when he was just a sophomore in high school.

One morning, he said, he awoke with blurry vision. He said the condition persisted and by the time the bus arrived to take him to school, he couldn't see 10 feet in front of him.

Initially, he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. He was skeptical, since he regularly played tennis and soccer. A trip to the emergency room ensued. A biopsy of his kidney revealed that Mr. Vue's kidneys were functioning at 4% capacity.

Doctors soon surgically implanted a fistula in order to prepare him for years of dialysis.

Mr. Vue dropped out of high school — he since has gotten his Graduation Equivalency Degree — and he said he spent the next few years lamenting his condition. He didn't get his first job until he was 21.

"There was a long time when I was kind of like upset with the world," said Mr. Vue, the youngest of nine children, seven of whom still live in the Northwest. His eldest brother, 55, relocated to Minnesota.

"I wasn't really thinking straight. I was like, 'Well, I have kidney failure. I'll enjoy whatever time I have left.' I kind of thought it was the end of road, but up until I was about 22, I realized I can have a longer life if I really just take care of myself."

The attitude adjustment, as well as the prospects of returning to his job, fueled those subsequent years. And more importantly, that decade counted toward being on the wait list for a new kidney.

The call came on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. Mr. Vue was told he would receive a kidney from a cadaver.

He had one day to prepare for surgery, performed on Dec. 12 at the Oregon Health Science University in Portland.

With his recovery going well, Mr. Vue had one goal in mind: "I didn't see why I couldn't go back to work," he said.

So on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, three months after the transplant, Mr. Vue reported back to work.

"I couldn't wait to get him back in here," Mr. Baumgarte said.

According to Mr. Cushing, some employees at his dealership know of Mr. Vue's ordeal, particularly those at the Beaverton, Ore., location. Employees at the locations in Seattle might not be as familiar.

No matter. He said he believes all employees understand his Point S dealership is "a pretty decent place to work, with good pay and good benefits."

And the Sandy Blvd store, he said, is "as close and as well-functioning a team as I've experienced anywhere. I think they are a cut above and perform that way as well. The customers are very satisfied."

It should be noted here — as sort of an addendum to the story — that the Sandy Blvd store now has 12 employees after bringing back Mr. Vue and the rest of the crew who had been furloughed. The shop routinely reaches sales of $200,000 to $300,000 per month, virtually all retail business. It is the top-selling store in the group.

Mr. Vue summarized why it is so successful.

"Everyone is really close-knit, which is great," he said. "Every day, I don't wake up and feel like I'm dragging my feet to get ready for work. I get up and get ready, and I'm excited to come to work. The biggest part is the team here. They are very supportive, very understanding, and it definitely makes us a great team."

And perhaps that is the most important story of all.