Dover man continues search for a new kidney
In what is becoming a long and frustrating process, Tyler Cox of Dover continues to seek a living donor to replace his single failing kidney. The 31-year-old was born with a single functioning kidney, and that organ began failing in 2022.
He began dialysis last year, and an active search has not produced a matching live donor. While one in 1,000 live births exhibit a single kidney, most are able to live normal lives. For Cox, the search for a kidney continues.
Dialysis removes, purifies and replaces blood in the body, closely duplicating normal kidney function. There are side effects, however, and Cox is struggling with those, his mother Amanda Cox said.
“He is still searching for someone to be a living donor. He has been dealing with the side effects of home dialysis, like low blood pressure, nausea, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, dizziness and muscle weakness,” Amanda Cox said.
The depression and anxiety that can come along with long-term health issues have been particularly hard for Tyler. “That has been a real big problem for Tyler. He has been losing weight too fast and has not wanted to eat,” Amanda Cox said.
While Tyler Cox has been able to keep working at his job with American Refining Group of Midvale, that also has been difficult to maintain due to his ongoing illness.
“Tyler has been dealing with low hemoglobin levels and takes shots to try to keep those up,” Amanda Cox said.
A GoFundMe page to accept donations to help with medical expenses is at gofund.me/5cfa4fce.
Area residents may have seen the fliers and lobby cards in place in many stores and restaurants locally, helping to spread the word about the search for a donor. Any business willing to put out a flier for the search can email donatekidney2tyler@gmail.com.
A matched donor would have type O blood, but that is not a necessity. “If you don’t have type O blood, you can still donate as a paired donor. In that case, an incompatible donor and recipient are matched with another incompatible donor and recipient for an exchange,” Amanda Cox said.
To be screened to be a donor, fill out the health questionnaire at www.osuwexmedlivingdonor.org. You also can call 614-293-6724, option three to speak with a coordinator.
Donors are typically between the age of 18 and 75 and in good health. A living donor is being sought to bring a match more quickly than the long wait for a deceased donor. Living donor transplants carry a greater than 98% success rate in the first year. The typical wait time for a live donor kidney in this area of Ohio is three to five years.
If a donor is found and no complications arise, a new kidney could be functioning in Tyler Cox’s body in as little as two months. The search has been active for a year or more.
A pancake breakfast to raise funds for Tyler Cox’s expenses will be held Saturday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Schoenbrunn Moravian Church, 2200 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia. The meal includes pancakes, sausage, fruit and drink for $10.
