Family pleads for kidney donor as teen’s health declines: 'We need help'

A New Jersey family is desperately seeking a living donor to save Thaddeus Giansanti, an eighth-grader who was born with kidney disease. 

Thaddeus has had multiple surgeries throughout his 13 years, including one to remove his kidney as a baby.

Despite his struggles, he has remained positive and optimistic, his parents shared with Fox News Digital.

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"His remaining kidney is now failing," said his father, Carlo Giansanti. "We are not a match, so now we’re asking for help from the community."

The family first found out about Thaddeus’ kidney disease before he was born, when an ultrasound detected a potential issue.

"It was nothing alarming at that point — it looked like he had extra fluid when he was born," Thaddeus' mother, Christa DeMark, shared with Fox News Digital. "Everything seemed normal, but right before we were leaving, they noticed an elevated creatinine number (a measure of kidney function in blood tests) that led to us being in touch with nephrology."

"There was something wrong with the ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder) and the formation of the kidneys."

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Thaddeus spent an extended period of time in the NICU, where he had multiple procedures. Before he was even 5 months old, he underwent a left nephrectomy to remove his left kidney. 

His remaining kidney was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, which has required lifelong medications.

"He's been with nephrology and nephrologists his entire life, and up until last year, everything's been stable, but that’s been slowly changing," DeMark said. "He’s getting bigger and it's been putting more stress on his remaining kidney."

Doctors informed the family that their best course of action would be to find a living donor.

"Everything's been sped up based on his bloodwork lately," DeMark said. "So it's looking like we need something quicker than we thought, which is why we’re looking for living donors."

If Thaddeus does not receive a kidney transplant within a couple of weeks, he will need to be put on dialysis, according to his doctors.

"It’s obviously been challenging for him," DeMark said. "He's dealing with it very well, but these are difficult situations we're navigating."

His parents describe Thaddeus as a smart, outgoing boy — a straight-A student who was recently awarded multiple scholarships for next year, when he will become a high-school freshman.

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Thaddeus is very athletic and enjoys playing soccer, golfing and fencing. He also plays piano and often volunteers in his community, including being an altar server and working with the local food pantry.

"He loves his family, and loves doing things with his family," DeMark said. "He's just a great kid."

Thaddeus' parents said they have not shared much about their son's medical condition until now. "We wanted Thad to just be the bright, happy person that he is, so we've minimized it for years," DeMark said. 

But in the last couple of weeks, as their son’s condition has become more dire, they have started to speak out about their situation.

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"We never expected to have such an outpouring of people who cared or people trying to help — it’s been incredibly humbling," DeMark said.

"It has pushed us to rely on faith in a way that's very palpable — we are just coming together as a family and taking each day as it comes," she went on. "We are remaining hopeful because we know there's a solution to this problem. We just need help."

To be considered for the donation program, kidney donors must be 45 or younger, have a BMI under 30 and match Thaddeus’ O blood type.

For those who are considering becoming donors, DeMark emphasized that it entails a laparoscopic procedure with a "fairly quick" healing process that is covered by their insurance, not the donor’s.

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"The miracle Thad needs right now is people who have the ability to step up," she added. "He is a great kid, a kind kid."

Those interested in being considered as a donor can complete this Kidney Transplant Living Donor Questionnaire.