'I'm hoping and praying' - Co Antrim mum's plea to get a new kidney for son in stage four failure
A mum from Co Antrim has issued an urgent appeal to help find a total kidney match for her son to save his life. Kyle Park, 32, has moderate learning difficulties and when he was ten-months-old had a series of febrile convulsions.
Soon after, a series of investigations found he had only one functioning kidney. Before starting at primary school, it was discovered that he had a hearing issue, requiring two hearing aids.
Further testing revealed he had HDR Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder affecting the kidneys and ears. In recent months, doctors found Kyle's kidney was operating at 14%, leaving him in stage four kidney failure and in desperate need of a life-saving transplant.
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The Antrim man's 16-year-old sister, Bethany, is a student at Parkhall Integrated College and has been spreading the word amongst the school community and wider social media to help find a total match for her brother.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Kyle's mum, Joy Park, said: "I'm hoping and praying we can get a total match for Kyle before dialysis. Our family are all there for him and we'll be getting tested, but he had a blood transfusion when he was ten-months-old, and needs a total match.
"He took very sick at that age. He had five febrile convulsions in one night, he stayed in one for over three quarters of an hour, which was pretty dangerous and leads to brain damage.
"But he came through it all. Soon after, I was told by the surgeon that after investigations he needed a kidney transplant. We took him home and a few months later found out he had a hearing problem, the first day he started primary school, they found out he needed two hearing aids.
"They did DNA testing on him but didn't find anything out, it was just a matter of keeping the kidneys at bay. He had yearly appointments at hospital - he has just been hooked and prodded at all his life. In around 2009, they did more testing and found out he had HDR Syndrome, which affects hearing and his kidneys."
Joy said as Kyle's kidney function has now dropped, doctors say he needs an urgent transplant. She added: "But now his kidneys have dropped in function. Over the past summer, we didn't know they were operating at 14%. When you're at 15%, you're put on the kidney transplant list.
"They have went up to 18% but because of them dropping so low, the City Hospital was involved with Antrim Hospital, so Kyle is needing the transplant very soon. They do say his life will progress from this with the new kidney, but it's getting the word out there for people to see if anybody is a match. He needs the new kidney to help keep him alive."
Sharing her pride for her young daughter spreading the word, Joy said they have been overwhelmed with the support they have received.
"My 16-year-old daughter has taken it upon herself to go on social media, spread the word, and do something for her brother," she added.
"I am so amazed at the feedback we're getting, just the caring from everybody, I can't believe the amount of people who have seen the appeal over the past two days."
Anyone who would like to help Kyle with his match can contact Living Kidney Donor Co-ordinators on 02895048293 or on email (donatealife@belfasttrustsdni.net). When contacting the Belfast Trust, reference “you would like to donate a kidney to Kyle Park” and his date of birth, which is 16/9/1992.
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