Alec was diagnosed with FSGS in 2014 after a kidney biopsy following a routine check up with his primary care doctor and a discovery of a high creatinine. By February 2017, he was in stage 4 kidney disease and a heavy steroid regimen was started. These medications compromised his immune system and he contracted pneumonia in April with 1 week in the hospital and 3 weeks at home recovering. In May,
he developed a compression fracture in his vertebrae due to the weakened condition of his bones from the medication. He had back surgery in June. All of this which was initially caused by kidney failure has severely affected Alec's life. He was an avid hiker and traveler, and now he can only manage short walks due to his Osteoporosis diagnosis. His low energy affects his overall life and time spent with his family. Alec's wife, Cindy, went through the evaluation process to be a living donor. However, doctor's decided her kidneys weren't strong enough. With the deceased donor waitlist, Alec faces a 2-8 year wait. He is now 69 years old. If Alec has to wait very long for a kidney, there is a good chance Cedars Sinai Hospital won't perform the surgery because he will then be 75 years of age. Alec would love to continue to enjoy life with his wife, daughter, son in law and two grandchildren who are 2 and 3 years old. He is an extremely kind and generous person who deserves to live the rest of his life full of happiness and wonderful experiences with his family and friends. Please consider being a living kidney donor for Alec, or at the very least share his story with people in your life.
