Fenton Township Clerk Searching for Living Kidney Donor
It's a battle that's been 18 years in the making - can you help?
Fenton Township Clerk Robert Krug is 74-years-old and is looking for a living kidney donor.
He lost one of his kidneys 18 years ago after a bout with cancer. Last spring, Krug's doctor told him that he would need dialysis for the remaining kidney, which he started at home shortly afterward.
Krug is on a lengthy list (over 3,000 long in Michigan) of people who are waiting for a kidney. The benefit of finding a living donor is that his doctors will have access to all of their medical records. A few people have stepped up, but none of them have been a match.
According to the University of Michigan, about 22,000 people across the country are waiting for a kidney.
To qualify as a living donor, you must be:
*at least 18 years old
* willing to donate
*in good general health and reasonably physically fit
People who are considered for donation are usually between 18-65 years old; gender and race do not matter. Some medical conditions are okay and won't affect the donation process. For more information on that, click HERE.
If you're interested in being a living donor, you can call check out kidney.org or call 1-800-333-9013. Blood type and tissue matching will start the process and you're free to drop out at anytime.
In the meantime, Krug told the Tri-County Times that he's going to spend his time with his grandkids and watching them play sports.
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