A 7-year-old boy who has underwent two heart transplants is now in need of a kidney transplant.
Laith Dougherty is recovering after two surgeries this week at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, and seeing him like this is very different for his family, who are used to an outgoing and energetic boy.
“He loves video games. He likes building. He likes science,” said Ghadah Makoshi, Laith’s mother.
Makoshi said Laith was diagnosed with kidney failure four years ago and had 35 percent function. Now, Laith’s kidneys are functioning at 6 percent
“Right now, he's at a stage five (kidney failure), and they had to do dialysis because they could no longer wait for a donor. His kidney function was too bad,” said Makoshi.
Laith had surgery to implant a catheter to allow him to take dialysis from home, but what he needs soon is a kidney.
“He desperately needs one now,” said Makoshi. “It’s stressful, because you don’t' know what's going to happen.”
The disease has already impacted Laith’s growth, but his mother just wants to see him well enough to go back to school.
“So he could just be like all the other kids his age instead of being in the hospital all of the time,” said Makoshi.
Laith survived his first heart transplant when he was just a baby, and now his mother is hopeful he will overcome this but needs help.
“If there's anybody that's ever thought about donating a kidney that maybe now is the right time,” said Makoshi.
Laith's blood type is B positive, so he can accept a kidney from a donor with an O or B blood type, positive or negative.
If someone is a match and would like to donate, please contact their kidney coordinator, Angela Barber, at 412-647-5489 and provide the name of Laith Dougherty. And yes, adults can donate.
