NEW YORK (CNN) – A man in New York in need of a healthy kidney has taken his story to social media.
Isaiah Jenkins is hoping to find a donor, but he’s also using his story to bring hope to others who are struggling.
Jenkins’ battle with kidney disease is far from his first struggle with a serious health condition.
Since Jenkins’ was born, doctors told his mom that he wouldn’t make it past five months due to his heart-stopping twice from asthma.
He beat the odds, but then, at 14, he found out he had kidney disease.
“But turns out, I had strep throat for five weeks and it had been attacking my kidneys,” Jenkins said.
Then after experiencing painful, long headaches and seizures around 16 years old, Jenkins said one day he just passed out.
That led to two brain surgeries for a rare condition resulting from a defect at the back of the head where the brain meets the spinal cord.
“I just deal with it. I’m not going to let it ruin my day or anything,” he said.
In the past two years, his kidneys have severely declined to the point where they are not functioning. He just got home recently from spending an entire month at a medical center, and now is doing dialysis treatment at home for six to eight hours a night.
Reluctantly, at first, Jenkins posted his story to social media.
“Going to social media, I realized there is a lot more good in people than you think,” Jenkins said.
His strength and persistence are inspiring others.
“God forbid I don’t make it I want the story to live on to motivate other people so they can I guess fight for whatever they’re going through to just keep fighting,” he said.
He said he’s not quitting and is going through it day by day but is in dire need of a kidney.
“That’s why I need someone to be watching this…and deciding maybe they want to donate and maybe they’re the match and maybe they can save my life,” he said.
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