Heat Director Pimental Works Through Kidney Failure

MIAMI — Rob Pimental, the Miami Heat's director of team operations, manages long workdays from his office while undergoing home dialysis for kidney failure, a routine that has defined his life for nearly a year as he awaits a potential kidney and pancreas transplant.

Pimental, who has lived with Type 1 diabetes for about 30 years, experienced a sharp decline in his health last spring when his kidneys began failing and his blood pressure rose significantly. He now administers dialysis to himself twice daily, a treatment that prevents him from traveling with the team, including their recent flight to the play-in tournament. Despite these limitations, the 15-year Heat veteran continues to oversee operations remotely, coordinating flight plans and addressing issues from home with assistance from staff members.

The uncertainty of the transplant wait weighs heavily on Pimental. He has been on the list for months, with no clear timeline for when a donor match might arrive. "The call might come this week. It might come next year. Nobody knows," he told a visitor recently, gesturing to the IV stand and dialysis fluid in his office. Nights often bring anxiety, as he wakes to check his...