Desperate to ‘live again,’ this young man hopes plea will find him a kidney
Global News
After his life was upended by a debilitating illness, a young man from Montreal and his family are making a public plea in hopes of finding a compatible kidney donor.
After his life was upended by a debilitating illness, a young man from Montreal and his family are making a public plea in hopes of finding a compatible kidney donor.
Julian Zadrozny, 25, knew something was wrong when he began experiencing “really bad leg cramps” and other painful symptoms.
“I wasn’t able to sleep through the night,” Zadrozny said in an interview. “And then sometimes occasionally I was having a hard time breathing.”
About six months ago, Zadrozny found out he had a form of end-stage chronic kidney disease caused by a mitochondrial defect. He says his case is rare and doctors are still trying to figure things out.
“There has been six cases recorded and they’re writing a case study about me because they’ve never seen it before,” Zadrozny said.
The illness means Zadrozny has to undergo daily dialysis while he sleeps as he waits for a new kidney. He has to be in bed for 10 hours every day.
Studying has become a struggle because of brain fog, while everyday movement is tiring.
“Generally I have a hard time if I go up some stairs,” he said. “I’m out of breath and it’s something that that’s really difficult.”
