A Kidney for Christmas (hopefully)
"I'm not the only one who replied to Jeff's request. And now he has one more test to complete. If his heart function is good to go, then so is he on the kidney — as soon as there's a matched donor."
Two days ago, on Christmas Eve, I was sitting in a recliner at Vitalant Plasma Center in Scottsdale, Arizona with a big needle stuck in my left arm. I posted a pic of myself and Della, the veteran specialist who was called in when they had to switch wings to get the blood flowing. I wrote on the post that I was doing a little holiday giving.
While that was true — I was donating blood on a holiday — there was another reason I was there: I needed to find out what my blood type is — because a friend needs a kidney. Badly. He has renal failure with just 10% of functionality remaining in each kidney.
One of my earliest memories of Jeff Zaffron was on the school bus more than 40 years ago. He had a boombox with him in the back seat, and he was playing The Doors’ “Break On Through (To The Other Side).” This was 1980, and we were 14. Jeff was already his own cat.
Though we lived in the same neighborhood, we ran around with different packs in high school. Then we graduated and went on to different colleges and different adult paths. But about 10 years ago, I needed some free-lance graphic design/branding work done, and I reached out to Jeff. Not only did he create a killer logo for my podcast, he adamantly refused to charge me a dime. Mensch.
Jeff and I have kept in frequent touch ever since. He and his family have had to move around a bit due to changes in his profession. He’s managed to make it with a few different companies, but then he got hit with something that he can only do so much to manage: kidney disease.
Recently, Jeff went public about his crisis in a way he had not before. In an incredibly vulnerable post on Facebook, he humbly and apologetically explained that he was reaching out for help. After three hospitals and one physical move, Jeff said he was in “Stage 5/End Stage,” and that he had no choice but to start searching for a living donor. A part of his post:
“So here’s the “simple” breakdown. There are 100,000 people in the US who need a kidney transplant and only about 24,000 kidneys available from organ donors per year. 75% of people waiting for a donor through conventional sources never make it to the transplant phase, as the turnaround time can be up to 7 years or more. Most, unfortunately pass away before this life-saving procedure.”
Jeff went on to explain that securing a living donor is much quicker, easier, and safer for the patient. His insurance pays for everything. All he needs is someone willing to donate — who is also a match.
Of course, I did my cursory research about what my life would be like with a single kidney. And as I’d heard, in most circumstances, having one instead of two works out just fine. After filling out the questionnaire, I called Jeff to talk about it all. I first asked him how he was really managing everything. He was honest:
“It's a bitter pill to swallow, to spend your life feeling invincible and then realizing you're not. And most people have that brutal kick to the balls a lot earlier in life. And I suppose I did too, but I’ll say that I am, we are coping. We are coping with it. We are having a positive attitude doing anything and everything that we can to hurry up the process so that we can get down the line and hopefully get this thing back.”
Jeff Zaffron is 58. He has a wife and three daughters. Though I’ve never met them, Jeff is the kind of guy where you can tell by how he talks and his pictures with his girls that fatherhood and family is the unmistakable core of his life. Of his being. And I’d be glad to help keep that going. Also, he included these words in his post that I will never forget:
“If you are not a direct match for me, you will be for someone and by donating — even if it’s not to me — you move me up on the list. If you donate, it’s a pretty simple procedure which typically requires only a single overnight stay in the hospital. I, on the other hand, will receive the possibility of living my full lifespan, seeing my daughters all graduate from college and grow into adulthood, watching my grandson grow up, and allowing me to live my life with my lovely wife.”
To be clear, I am not the only one who replied to his post and decided to be a “yes” if I’m a match. I’ll find out soon.
Meanwhile, Jeff has one more test to go through in a couple of weeks. If his heart is good to go, then so is he as soon as there is a matched donor.
Jeff included one other way that people can help people like him who are living at the mercy of a shortage of human organs: Spread the word.
So that’s what I’m doing. And if the impulse strike you, please feel free to do the same!
Jeffrey, thank you for your bravery. And for your generosity. I’ll be in touch soon.
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Keep us posted! I hope it’s a match. Do you know Elissa Wald of Never Alone? She has also donated a kidney.
Thanks for your willingness to be a donor. Living donors are the best option for those with end stage kidney disease. I know as I just received a kidney from my oldest daughter. I pray the other Jeff has someone provide for him, too.