Teen with kidney disease finds donor living minutes away
ABC News • • health
Key Points:
- Elias Manolis, a teenager with a congenital kidney condition, experienced a rapid decline in kidney function at age 13, leading to severe fatigue and limited daily activities.
- With no family donor match available, the Manolis family sought help from their community through local media and social platforms, which reached Tim Fitzpatrick and his wife, Stephanie.
- Tim Fitzpatrick, motivated by his own son's health challenges, was identified as a compatible kidney donor despite their age difference, and he donated his kidney to Elias on March 23 at NYU Langone.
- The two families met after the surgery and discovered they live just 10 minutes apart, highlighting the close-knit nature of the donor-recipient connection.
- Elias' mother hopes their story encourages others to consider organ donation, emphasizing the life-saving impact it can have on those in need.
