Byron Callahan #findakidneyforbyron

KIDNEY FAILURE IS TAKING A TOLL Byron Callahan’s kidneys were permanently damaged by a childhood strep infection that sent him into chronic kidney failure at the age of 19. At 21, Byron’s 18-year-old sister Brittney volunteered for testing to see if she could qualify as a donor. She was a perfect donor match and selflessly gave one of her two healthy kidneys to her brother, eager to help save his life. Fast-forward 14 years. January 2019, Byron was devastated to receive news that his kidney was failing and diagnosed with end-stage chronic kidney failure. He left a lucrative job in New York City and moved back to Kingsport, TN to be closer to his support network of friends and family. Byron’s a proud dad to a beautiful 1 ½ year-old daughter Zena who inspires his vigorous fight for life. Currently Byron is enduring exhaustive 3 times per week dialysis treatments that last four hours a day. These machines do the work his kidneys can’t while he waits for a potential kidney on the donor wait list. The wait can take years….years that Byron may not have. Please find it in your heart to help support Byron. His Fight is OUR FIGHT. As a devoted humanitarian, Byron has has given so much, but now it is time for him to GET BACK. To find out if you could be a match, call (865) [phone redacted]. He is currently estranged from his wife and searching for an affordable, safe place to live and heal. He is also steadfast about remaining near Zena to be an involved father. Before he is accepted for transplant surgery, Byron needs to prove he will have the support of a caregiver to assist him following the transplant when it’s critical to watch for signs of organ rejection. His mother, Tammie Callahan Reichert and his father, Michael Callahan recently explored the possibility of being a donor but was denied based on other underlying health conditions. Tammie, Byron’s mother, will be Byron’s caregiver after transplant. Zena, Byron’s adorable daughter is now 1 ½ years old. She is the driving force behind his determination and fight for life. While he’s had offers to move to Texas to live with another family member, Byron doesn’t want to become an absent father. He loves Zena and won’t let anything stand in his way of being an involved father. But, he needs to be healthy and capable of supporting himself and Zena.