Wish for Whitecotton: Help Zack Get a New Kidney

My name is Jessie Breaux, and I am setting up this Go Fund Me account on behalf of my dear colleague and friend. Her son, Zack Whitecotton, is currently experiencing kidney failure at the young age of 27. I have watched this family suffer tremendously over the last year as their child Zack has gone from being a healthy and active 27 year old to critically ill unable to get out of bed. They are an amazing family, and I have been deeply touched by their fight. Please take a moment to read her story below and consider supporting her family in these challenging times. All donations will go directly to the Whitecotton family for medical expenses.

 

"My name is Nezha Whitecotton, my son Zack (Zackaria) Whitecotton is 27 years old. He was diagnosed with IGA Nephropathy, a disease that attacks the kidneys. The doctor told us that at the age of 40 he may need dialysis and at the age of 50-60 he may need a kidney transplant. In June of 2019, his kidney functions dropped to 76%, and in September his kidney function dropped again to 46%. We couldn’t get any answers as to why his kidney functions were going down so drastically. On January 5th of this year, his kidney function dropped to 19% and on March 9th, he was so sick that we had to rush him to the ER. We were told that his function was at 6% and they admitted him immediately for his first surgery to have a port for dialysis. A week later he had a second surgery for his Peritoneal Dialysis.

 

Since that day, he has been doing dialysis at home nightly six days a week and is hooked to the dialysis machine for 9-10 hours. In the last 8 weeks his health took a turn for the worse. He has had to quit a job that he adores and worked so hard to get. This Thursday, December 9th, we had to rush him to the ER again, his hemoglobin was at 5.6, he had pneumonia, H-Pylori infection, high blood pressure, and could not breathe on his own even with nasal cannula oxygen. He was admitted to the ICU.

 

He is on the transplant list at the Ochsner main campus, but unfortunately the waiting list is 4-7 years for a deceased donor kidney. Finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy and time is not on our side. However, receiving a kidney from a living donor can provide a quicker solution. With the help of some hospital programs in either Texas or Alabama, he may be able to get a kidney sooner, but this will come with tremendous cost.

 

Asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney is difficult, but it greatly improves his chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function.

You might not know a lot about living donation - I know I didn’t before kidney disease affected my life. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:

● You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.

● Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.

● The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks.

You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation or by contacting the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or [email redacted]. If you want to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NKF can also help.

Please, I am asking if you can or know somebody who wants to be a donor, please call the Ochsner Multi-organ Transplant Institute directly at (504) [phone redacted]. You need to give them Zack’s name; his blood type is O."

 

 

With monetary help, we could help the Whitecotton family travel to a kidney specialized hospital in the United States that may be able to help Zack get a transplant sooner! Please consider giving to help cover the medical expenses. If you are not able to give a monetary donation, all prayers would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Please share this fundraiser far and wide. Thank you. #wishforwhitecotton