ALLENTOWN, Pa. – An Allentown man is turning to his neighbors for a life-saving effort.<\/p>\n
For 30-year-old Cesar Gonzalez, every day is a battle with exhaustion.<\/p>\n
A simple night’s sleep no longer brings energy, because a kidney disease called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), discovered five years ago, has left him with stage 5 kidney failure.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez has spent the last five years searching for a donor and says he is currently functioning at around 12% kidney capacity.<\/p>\n
“You almost feel like your youth has been stolen. You know what I mean?” said Cesar. “One minute you’re just full of life energy, and then it just slowly starts to creep up on you. You just feel exhausted and it’s been really tough for me”<\/p>\n
Because his kidneys can no longer filter waste properly, waste products are building up in his body, causing constant exhaustion. He was previously on dialysis, spending around 8 to 12 hours attached to a machine every night, a routine he desperately wants to avoid repeating.<\/p>\n
“Like, I’m okay one day and then the next day I’m in the hospital for like a month. And it’s scary. It’s super scary,” said Cesar. “Waiting around, not knowing what’s going to happen.”<\/p>\n
Through that fear, he finds escape and comfort in his craft. A tattoo artist by trade, he’s also a fine artist; an outlet kidney disease hasn’t taken from him.<\/p>\n
“Art has been with me since the beginning. It’s everything to me,” said Cesar. “Like, it’s my therapy. It’s my way to relieve stress. If I’m feeling some type of way, I just let it out on the canvas.”<\/p>\n
A living donor with type O blood is his best shot.<\/p>\n
“Some family members were just not a match; friends were not a match, or they had their own things that disqualified them from donating,” said Cesar.<\/p>\n
Even if a willing donor is not a direct match, the National Kidney Registry’s paired exchange program allows donors to help through a kidney swap, potentially connecting Gonzalez with a compatible kidney.<\/p>\n
“I just hope people see this,” said Cesar. “Because all it takes is one person.”<\/p>\n
There is no financial burden to help. The National Kidney Registry covers medical and travel expenses for donors.<\/p>\n
If you want to help Cesar and see if you are a match, you can follow this link.<\/p>\n