Park Slope Jewish Center Member Searches for Kidney Match

Heroes come in many shapes and sizes. You don’t need x-ray vision or a flowing cape to save a life, just a sense of humanity and, at times, a great deal of courage.

Neil Jaffee is looking for just such a hero. A member of the Park Slope Jewish Center, Neil is facing end-stage kidney disease and desperately needs a transplant.

I have PKD (polycystic kidney disease), an inherited disorder that causes the kidneys to fill with cysts and become enlarged. The swelling is encroaching on my ability to breathe. This past winter I had vascular surgery on my arm in preparation for dialysis, but am not yet on it. For me, dialysis is an interim measure until a healthy kidney for transplant is found. However, without a living donor, the wait list for a kidney in New York State is 4–7 years.

Unfortunately, family and friends have all been ruled out as possible matches. This is where you can help. Neil is looking for an altruistic kidney donation, meaning a donation from a stranger. If you’re blood type A or O, then you could be a match.

If you’ve ever considered donating a kidney, please contact the Transplant Unit at Mt. Sinai Hospital for an initial screening (212-659-8024) and give Neil’s name and date of birth: Neil Jaffee, March 21, 1943.

Even if you’re not a match for Neil, donating on his behalf through Mt. Sinai will allow him to enter a matched living-donor kidney exchange by the National Kidney Registry, something which will dramatically increase his chances of finding a compatible donor.

Please visit Neil’s website for more information on polycystic kidney disease, and the donation process.

Photo via Neil Jaffee