APPLETON — The family of a former KASD art teacher has posted an emotional plea on social media hoping to find a kidney match for their 2-year-old son.
Liz Austin, who now teaches in the Appleton School District, says the couple’s son, Arlo, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at birth, which has now become end stage renal failure.
“From the moment we learned Arlo would need a kidney transplant, we never doubted whether one of us would be the donor – unfortunately, neither of us are eligible to be candidates,” Austin wrote in a public Facebook post.
But it turns out neither Austin, nor Arlo’s father, Max Lesatz, is a match, so they’ve turned to the public for help.
If you are interested in being a potential organ donor and your blood type is either A or O (+ or -), please call (414) 805-0310.
Calling this number begins a commitment-free process of answering a few simple general health questions. This is an anonymous process and we will not be informed of the names of any callers.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the mounting costs. DONATE HERE
Arlo was delivered five weeks early on Oct. 1, 2020.
But shortly after birth, Alro was transported from the hospital in Neenah to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa where his parents would get the diagnosis with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Failure. Five months later, Arlo has now gone through five different surgeries to help him prepare for peritoneal dialysis.
Since leaving the NICU in November, Arlo has been making the weekly trips to Children’s and has even had a few longer stays due to complications.
“We are heartbroken we cannot do it ourselves,” Austin writes, “and are incredibly gracious to anyone who even considers being a donor.”
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