Jackson Grundy Overcomes Stage Five Kidney Disease, Leads North Montgomery into Sectionals

Jackson Grundy, a senior guard for North Montgomery, went from being rushed to Riley Children’s Hospital with unbearable abdominal pain in late December 2024 to stepping back on the court as his team heads into the IHSAA Class 2A sectional against Seeger Tuesday, March 3. Doctors discovered stage 5 kidney disease during that hospitalization, and after months of treatment Grundy returned to play in the 2025-26 season for the Chargin' Chargers.

The medical arc was stark. Grundy “had surgery a few days later and had to be injected with dialysis for over four months,” and he “couldn't leave home. His sports seasons in 2024-25 were over.” Facing the prospect of life-threatening complications without a transplant, a kidney match was found just a few days after his birthday and the surgery took place April 20, 2025. Grundy did not learn who his match was.

Grundy has been frank about the change in how he feels since the transplant. “Before that, you couldn't tell that I really felt bad,” he said. “After getting it, I feel amazing. I've definitely seen improvement in my physical wellbeing.” Through the recovery he credited teammates, coaches and friends for pushing him back into sport: “They pushed me to want to come back,” and “They let me flow back into playing sports.”

His path back to basketball included a fall of conditioning that included competing in boys tennis, using those cardio workouts to prepare for basketball. North Montgomery coach Chad Arnold emphasized the emotional toll of Grundy’s journey, saying, “It's tough seeing a kid go through all that stuff.” Arnold also noted, in the phrasing printed in team coverage, “He's got a lot of friends on his team, and the kids have great to him,” a line that captures how teammates rallied around Grundy during surgeries and bedside recovery.

Practice work was visible in late February, with a dated practice photo showing Grundy dribbling on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. He has embraced the small moments that once felt out of reach, motivated “to return to the court, dawn the bright orange, blue and white jerseys and listen to the public address announcer call his name after scoring a basket.” Grundy’s comeback, described in coverage as “one of the more powerful local narratives of this high school season,” now enters its next chapter when North Montgomery faces Seeger in the sectional, what could be the final high school game of his career.