Man needs kidney after donor changed mind over coronavirus

A New Jersey man with kidney failure is praying for a miracle in the wake of a heart transplant for a donor amid coronavirus concerns, a report says.

Thomas Minardi of Franklin Lakes, “Come here and help me here.” According to WPVI-TV. “That is my prayer. I say that every night. “

The married father of three said he only had about 7 percent kidney function and would soon die if another donor was not found.

“I’ve worked hard all my life. I never get tired, and there’s a lot of energy. I could do the work of three men, but now, at 10:30 pm, I don’t run out of gas, ”said Minardi, 59, who owns Uncle Minardi’s cookies.

Things were looking up when doctors found a competitive and scheduled surgery after Easter earlier this year – but that stopped when the epidemic struck.

“I thought it might be a month or two longer,” Minardi said. “I’ll do my best. … When you have some confidence there, you hold on to it. “

The operation was rescheduled in early July, but the donor backed away from uncertainty during the outbreak, another blow to Minardi.

“I had to put this catheter on ASAP so I could start some home dialysis,” he said. “You can’t get less than 7 percent. That’s not a lot of percentages. “

He said he was waiting now, “Someone will look at this and come with a kidney so I can go at full speed again.”

Potential donors can contact Kathleen Murdock at Hackensack Meridian Health at 551-996-4453 or Sarah-Marie Castelvi at St. Barnabas Medical Center at 973-322-2143.