South Jersey family searches for kidney match for 4-year-old son
NEW JERSEY - Sebastian Foster, 4, is in desperate need of a kidney. His family is doing everything they can to get the word out.
Beatriz and Sebastian visited Good Day Philadelphia to share details about Sebastian's illness and to raise awareness in order to find him a match.
"They diagnosed him with chronic kidney disease that means his overtime. His kidney function will keep deteriorating until they eventually fail," his mom, Beatriz Foster, told FOX 29.
At his age, Sebastian doesn’t quite understand the disease, but every night for the past seven months he is on dialysis for nine and half hours.
Nightly dialysis works for now but is not a permanent solution for the active little boy.
"I’m A positive and she’s in A positive. He’s O positive. Unfortunately, me and her are not a match and none of her or my immediate family are," his dad, Christopher Foster, said.
With over a 100,000 people waiting for kidney donation in the United States only 17,000 are matched for transplant each year, so Beatriz figured she would try something else to increase the odds.
"I would write on the back of my window with paint and I would paint that our son needs a kidney and please contact us at this email address, Kidney for Sebastian," she said.
Beatriz and husband, Christopher, clock many miles in their minivan, going to work, driving kids to activities and Sebastian to doctor visits from their home in Gloucester City.
When the paint she used to make the window signs kept washing off, a local business donated the bright vinyl window stickers.
"We are trying to figure out a way to get bigger exposure for him," Beatriz said. "The more people that get tested the more likely he will be to get a kidney."
If you wish to help, please email Kidney4sebastian@gmail.com.