Lorraine Rivera Reports
Christmas wish: kidney transplantPosted: Dec 20, 2007 10:11 AM
Jason Costell is living on borrowed time.
The 30 year old only has one kidney, and it functions at just three to five percent. He desperately needs a transplant.
When Jason was a year old, doctors discovered he had a five pound cancerous tumor growing on one of his kidneys. Jason underwent 18 rounds of radiation; doctors removed the cancer and the kidney.
Since then, he lived a relatively normal life. But two years ago, at the age of 28, Jason became ill and could not recover.
"Usually when I got sick, I could just pass it. But this time it hung on a little longer."
He contacted his doctor. A blood test revealed a nightmare.
Jason received the news one February morning while on his way to work, and "I could hear it in his voice that something wasn't right. He said I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're in kidney failure."
Jason receives treatment every week, about four hours each time. "My life consists of dialysis. What that means is, three times a week, I get stuck with 15 gauge needles that are attached to tubes that circulate my blood and keep me alive."
Jason has worked in restaurant management and most recently in insurance, but he can no longer work. He spends his time recovering from dialysis.
Jason is an only child; his mother Susan, is a single mom. She's a match for a transplant but cannot give him a kidney because she also had cancer.
Jason is hoping for a live donor. When that person is available, Jason has to be here at University Medical Center within 8 hours. He hasn't left Tucson for two years, waiting for that moment. "I have family in Michigan and I don't ever want to take that chance of being away and getting that call." That second chance.
Jason has type O blood. He's on the National Transplant list, but that could take three to five years, so he's hoping this holiday for a living donor to come forward. Anyone who wants information on kidney transplants can call the transplant coordinator at UMC at (520) 694-6827.
http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7525241&nav=HMO6HMaWMy Comment: The journalist seems a little confused about the difference between finding a live donor and getting "the call."
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