Roderick Johnson Needs a Kidney Buddy!
The Johnson Family Needs our Help!
Rod is a normal 17-year-old who loves video games, cool cars, swimming, and his little brother Darrick. Rod got his love of cars from his father, who is in the car business. This 17 year old has his sights on a 1967 Chevy Chevelle someday. But while he has big dreams, he also needs a lifesaving kidney transplant. Roderick was born with end-stage renal disease, and underdeveloped kidneys. While other kids are running around with their friends, Roderick must go to doctor appointments, take medicine, and keep hope alive as his body is not keeping up.
Roderick’s friends call him Rod, but his best friend calls him Big Bro. Grant and Rod met while playing online video games. Grant lives in NC and Rod lives in Florida. But distance does not define this friendship as kids have a way of connecting in such a pure way. Grant is Rod’s biggest advocate and will do anything to help his best friend find his kidney buddy. What started as a multiplayer game, has connected two families that are now in this journey together.
Please help share Roderick’s story as he just dreams of a future where he can attend college, play sports, and simply enjoy life like any other teenager.
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Roderick is registered at Tampa General Hospital:
Coordinator: Kristin Tekola, MSN APRN, RN CCTC
Tampa General Hospital
(813) 259-8763
Casaundra Butler Needs a Kidney Buddy!
Casaundra needs a support team
This is Casaundra Butler, and she needs to find a living donor. Casaundra has 3B Chronic Kidney Disease and her family is not a match to be a kidney donor. The 3B notation is the stage of kidney failure Casaundra is currently in with 5 being the worst stage. Her symptoms include fatigue, swelling in hands and feet, back pain, and weakness. Casaundra needs a living donor but none of her siblings or family members are a match. She has three sisters, two nephews and one niece. Casaundra is from Alexandria, Louisiana and she has a cat named Velvet. She is still working, loves to cook, and spend time with the family.
Casaundra has been keeping a cheerful outlook but things are hard when you are not healthy. Her doctors are at Tulane University Transplant Institute in New Orleans so she must find a ride to get to appointments. When you are sick, even the smallest things can become a monumental hurdle. Please help make her challenges a little lighter by being on Team Casaundra!
Please call Tulane University Coordinator below.
Tulane University Transplant Institute Phone #: 504-988-5254
• Transplant Coordinator: Mia
Mary Lu Zangara Needs a Kidney Buddy
Mary Lu needs a fighting team!
This is Mary Lu, and she is a retired Estee Lauder beauty consultant and mother to two grown children and three standard poodles. Mary Lu and her husband Phil met in Chicago but moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1978. They now call the Sunshine State home and Florida is where they raised their two children Nicole and Philip. They are also the proud parents to their standard poodle fur babies Hidalgo, Luna, and Luigi. This self-proclaimed social butterfly knows about health issues as she is a cancer survivor and now suffers from Stage 4 kidney disease.
Mary Lu has a remarkably cheerful outlook given that she has had severe health issues since 18. Mary Lu was diagnosed with cancer while she was a senior in high school. While the rest of her classmates were applying to colleges and picking out prom dresses, Mary Lu was fighting to stay alive. She won her battle against cancer and can now say she is a 54-year survivor. But now she struggles against a new battle that she cannot fight alone. Mary Lu needs a kidney transplant, and her best chance is to find a living donor.
Please consider being tested to see if you are a match. Even fighters need a team effort!
Blood Type: 0
Tampa General Hospital 813-844-7137
Clinical Transplant Coordinator: Maria Elena 813-660-6966
Jeff Johasky Needs a Kidney Buddy
Jeff Johasky needs someone in his court!
This is Jeff Johasky, and he is enjoying his retirement years with his lovely wife Nancy, their two kids and three grandchildren. Raised in a small town in Pennsylvania, Jeff and Nancy knew each other their whole lives, but romance did not start until his brother Tom married Nancy’s sister. They became wedding dates and now are about to celebrate 50 years of marriage. This relationship continues, but the story is not yet complete. If you do not have your health, you really are not living your best life. Jeff has Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) stage 5. This is often an inherited condition so none of his family members will be a match.
Jeff practiced law and Nancy worked at many endeavors while raising their family in Pennsylvania. Jeff has always practiced with his clients' best interest in mind. Nancy and Jeff are currently loving their new title of Florida snowbirds going back and forth to Naples, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Jeff likes to play golf, do yard work and spending time with his family. His three granddaughters need their Nonno around, which is grandfather in Italian.
Jeff is lucky enough that he has not started dialysis yet, but he cannot wait the average wait time of 5 years to be on a transplant list. His best chance to resume a healthy lifestyle is to find a living donor so we need to share his story so more people can be evaluated to see if they are a match.
Potential Donors call 412-647-4438. Register at https://livingdonorreg.upmc.com and designate Jeffrey Johasky, as the recipient.
